Tropical Storm Rachel Triggers Severe Coastal Flooding Across Southern California

Tropical Storm Rachel brought destructive coastal flooding to Southern California on Friday, with tides running up to 17 inches above predictions and swells double the forecast size. In Newport Beach, water blasted through 20-foot protective berms at the Wedge, flooding streets from 21st to 6th Street with at least a foot of water. City Councilman Joe Stapleton called it the worst flooding he had witnessed in 20 years on the Peninsula.

Long Beach reported five damaged structures along the Alamitos Peninsula, including two red-tagged as unsafe for entry and three yellow-tagged for restricted access. Powerful waves breached a bulkhead, washed away sand berms, and flooded streets up to East Ocean Boulevard. The city has distributed 7,600 sandbags to residents, bringing the total to over 15,000.

“This is the worst I've seen it in my 20 years on the Peninsula.”

Newport Beach closed all beaches and piers Saturday morning and declared a local emergency to secure additional resources. Crews activated 18 pumps and 86 tidal valves to drain flooded streets and prevent ocean water from backing up storm drains. Orange County Vice Chair Katrina Foley said officials were caught off guard by the early arrival of the swell.

The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood warning for Los Angeles County beaches through 3 p.m. Sunday, with a high surf advisory for Sunday predicting waves of 4 to 7 feet. Forecasters warn the bulk of Rachel's impacts will hit San Diego County Sunday morning, though Orange and Los Angeles counties face widespread rain and continued coastal flooding.