NASA’s fleet of earth-observing satellites continue to provide valuable data to the National Hurricane Center on the inner workings of Hurricane Jimena as she drops copious amounts of rain and generates dangerous surf along the Baja today. Today, September 2 at 8 a.m. EDT, Jimena’s center is now making landfall on the west coast of the Southern Baja California Peninsula.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over Jimena September 1 at 2:35 p.m. EDT and captured an image of the extent of her cloud cover. At that time her cloud-filled eye was still somewhat visible, and her center was located to the southwest of the southernmost tip of Baja California. At that time, Jimena’s center had undergone an “eyewall replacement,” and was weakening.

Today the National Hurricane Center warned that “Jimena is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 5 to10 inches over the southern half of the Baja Peninsula and portions of western Mexico during the next couple of days…with possible isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches.” That means a lot of flooding and dangerous mud slides are likely. Flooding in the city of La Paz has already been reported this morning.

In addition, Jimena is causing a dangerous storm surge with large and dangerous battering waves. News reports from Bloomberg News indicated that shortly after midnight Pacific Time, hurricane force winds of at least 74 mph and 13 foot waves affected the western coast of La Paz. The Times also reported that many tourists, fishermen and surfers chose not to evacuate. Some resorts have boarded their windows, and the Los Cabos Airport was closed.

At 8 a.m. EDT today, Jimena’s maximum sustained winds were near 105 mph making her a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours, but Jimena is still forecast to be a hurricane when it moves inland. Her center was located 30 miles south of Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico, near 24.5 north and 112.1 west. Jimena is moving north-northwest near 13 mph and is expected to slow. Estimated minimum central pressure is 970 millibars.

There’s now been a change in the forecast track for Jimena. Previously, computer models had Jimena crossing the Sea of Cortez (the Gulf of California) and making a final landfall in western Mexico. Now, computer models are projecting that Jimena crawl up the Baja in a northwesterly direction up to the Central Baja California peninsula on Thursday, when she’ll re-enter the Eastern Pacific Ocean.