Tropical Rainstorm Rachel sends waves into California homes
Damaging surf forced Long Beach residents out as crews reinforced coastal barriers. Dangerous beach conditions persist.
Oceanfront homes along Long Beach and Newport Beach are in danger of crumbling into the water as Tropical Storm Rachel brought high surf crashing into the Southern California coast on Oct. 11.
Waves driven by Tropical Rainstorm Rachel smashed through glass windows and doors in Long Beach, California, sending seawater into living rooms and leaving a row of oceanfront homes unsafe to occupy.
Powerful surf tore apart shoreline defenses, flooding properties and forcing residents out along a coast already stripped of protective sand.
Damaged beachfront homes are seen in Long Beach, Calif., following Tropical Storm Rachel, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (Photo by Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
“There's a lot of stuff getting exposed out here that's just mind-blowing. It's mind-blowing,” resident Miguel Figueroa said as damage unfolded along the shoreline.
Rachel made landfall Saturday evening in northern Baja California, Mexico, south of San Diego, but its destructive coastal impacts extended well beyond where the storm moved ashore.
In Long Beach, waves damaged the boardwalk and breached the barrier protecting waterfront homes. Building inspectors deemed multiple structures unsafe to enter, leaving displaced residents facing uncertainty about when they could return.
Firefighters watch along the boardwalk amid high Pacific Ocean surf generated by Tropical Storm Rachel on October 11, 2026 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Ahead of Rachel’s strongest impacts, crews raced to replenish sand walls in Long Beach in anticipation of waves reaching 9 feet. Local emergency declarations in Long Beach and Newport Beach helped mobilize additional resources to protect properties.
Large waves were reported elsewhere along California’s coast Sunday, including a wave height of about 17.4 feet at Point Sur in central California and heights exceeding 16 feet at Cape Mendocino and Point Reyes in Northern California.
Rain also created dangerous conditions inland. In San Clemente, rockslides and flash flooding closed roads during Sunday morning traffic. Rachel’s moisture spread farther into the Southwest over the weekend, contributing to flash flooding in Nevada and Utah.
Heavy rain associated with Tropical Rainstorm Rachel caused flash flooding in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 11.
In Newport Beach, officials credited preparations with helping limit additional coastal flooding as crews worked through the weekend to maintain protective sand barriers and remove water.
In an aerial view, Pacific Ocean waves crash into damaged homes as a powerful ocean surge and very high tides generated by Tropical Storm Rachel batter the Southern California coastline on October 11, 2026 in the Capistrano Beach community of Dana Point, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
“Throughout the weekend, City crews and contractors have worked around the clock to build new berms, reinforce existing ones, operate pumps and respond to changing coastal conditions,” the city wrote on Facebook. “That work continues as crews reinforce vulnerable areas along the coastline and monitor for additional flooding.”
Dangerous surf and rip currents continue into the week, with lifeguards encouraging people to stay off beaches.
Newport Pier, Balboa Pier and the Wedge remain temporarily closed, according to Newport Beach officials. The city said other beaches remain open but urged visitors to respect closures and stay off protective sand berms.
For coastal communities, the repairs come with concern about what lies ahead. AccuWeather forecasters expect El Niño to help drive a busy California wet season, bringing the potential for flooding rain, further beach erosion and more damaging surf.
With protective sand already depleted in vulnerable areas, crews are reinforcing barriers as residents assess the damage from Rachel.
Report a Typo
