The Day After Tomorrow was a science fiction disaster film that asked the question, “Could climate change lead to the end of the world?” The movie depicted heavy storms and other apocalyptic natural disasters, and unfortunately, these scenarios somewhat came true as Hilary makes its way to the west coast.
According to AP News, Hurricane Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years and had recently hit the Mexican border. Forecasters described the storm as “catastrophic and life-threatening,” and the first thing that came to people’s minds after hearing that was the 2004 sci-fi flick.
To recap, there was a scene in Los Angeles where multiple tornadoes destroyed the city, and reporters spotted civilians taking photos of this catastrophic event. At the same time, New York City was flooded to the point where it was almost submerged and covered in snow. People began to share their thoughts on the upcoming storm and how The Day After Tomorrow may have “predicted” the horrors to come.
If there is one thing that both The Day After Tomorrow and this storm have in common, it’s how both storms that hit Los Angeles had maximum wind speeds of 70 miles per hour. While what was depicted in the film will most likely be different from what’s about to come in the real world, the similarities are somewhat uncanny, especially when Los Angeles Times and ABC 7 reported a 5.1 earthquake was detected in Ojai, just northwest of Santa Paula.
Since this film is the first thing that came to people’s minds, hopefully its mistakes won’t be repeated. As of writing, The Guardian reported on its live blog the storm has passed through Mexico with “not too much damage” and is now attempting to restore communications and electricity. We’re hoping Hilary’s impact on the west coast will also be minimal.