Hurricane Genevieve Becomes First Category 5 Storm of Super El Niño Season: How Homeowners Should Prepare

The first Category 5 storm of the 2026 season has arrived in the Pacific, with Hurricane Genevieve picking up speed and strength out at sea. The National Hurricane Center reported this morning that the storm had fallen back to a Category 4 storm as of 8 a.m., but that Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph) and that its center was located about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and was headed northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, but NOAA insisted that swells from the storm will create “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” in the Baja California peninsula.As for Hawaii, the islands are already bracing for an impact from Tropical Storm Fausto. While the storm weakened Monday night, it will take a path north of the Hawaiian islands through Wednesday, creating strong winds and currents for the islands. “Expect ocean water surging and sweeping across beaches, coastal benches, and lava flows creating the potential for impacts to coastal properties and infrastructure, including roadways,” warned NOAA. “Powerful longshore and rip currents will be present at most be...