LOS ANGELES, CA – Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to come ashore south of Los Angeles County late Saturday and bring a Coastal Flood Warning, rain and high surf to Southern California beaches, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm moved north-northeast off Baja California on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, and was forecast to break up over the southwestern United States on Sunday, Oct. 11. The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles said the center of the storm would track well south of Los Angeles County but that the region would still feel significant effects.
The main threat is damaging coastal flooding along south-facing beaches, especially in Long Beach and Malibu. A Coastal Flood Warning for Los Angeles County beaches remains in effect through 3 p.m. Sunday.
Rain is forecast from Saturday night through Tuesday, Oct. 13.
High tide Sunday morning is the main flooding concern
The National Weather Service said high tides around 8 feet are expected Sunday morning, the period of greatest concern for flooding along the coast. A high surf advisory for the Los Angeles and Ventura County coasts runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, according to initial reports.
Winds over coastal waters could reach 20 to 30 knots on Saturday and Sunday. San Diego was under a rare Tropical Storm Watch, and the storm was forecast to move onshore near the Baja California border Saturday night.
Forecasters have said the track keeps the strongest winds and rain south of Los Angeles. Even so, the warning covers the beaches of the nation’s second-largest county, where wave action and elevated tides are expected to combine.
Long Beach opens sandbag sites and restricts Peninsula access
Long Beach has opened sandbag sites ahead of the storm and restricted vehicle access to the Peninsula to residents only. Residents picking up sandbags were limited to 10 each and had to show identification.
The city’s preparations follow damage on Friday, Oct. 9, when waves hit the bulkhead on the Peninsula. Inspectors red-tagged two homes and yellow-tagged three along the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Seaside Walk, according to initial reports. About 30 feet of bulkhead between 65th and 66th Place was damaged.
City crews used about 1,000 sandbags to reinforce the damaged section. A red tag generally bars entry to a building, while a yellow tag allows limited access.
Long Beach is also speeding up a plan to rebuild the Peninsula’s beach, including moving 50,000 to 100,000 cubic yards of sand at a cost of $230,000. A separate $11.4 million dredging project is scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 19.
Newport Beach declares local emergency after Friday flooding
Newport Beach City Manager Seimone Jurjis, acting as the city’s director of emergency services, declared a local emergency on Friday after coastal flooding hit the Balboa Peninsula. He said the declaration was meant to secure resources to protect public and private property.
Friday morning’s high tide flooded roughly 15 to 20 blocks of the Balboa Peninsula, stranding vehicles and damaging homes and businesses. The city closed several beaches, the Newport and Balboa piers and the Wedge, a surf spot at the end of the peninsula.
Crews rebuilt sand berms and operated pumps and tide valves to move water off the streets.
Orange County and inland areas face rain and flood risk
Orange County could see periods of moderate to heavy rain with localized flooding. Rain totals in Los Angeles County are forecast at about a quarter inch to 1 inch, with higher amounts in the mountains, according to initial reports. Some earlier forecasts gave lower totals for the coast.
A Level 3 of 4 flood rainfall threat covers parts of Southern California, southern Nevada, southwest Utah and northwest Arizona from Saturday night through Sunday. Palm Springs and Joshua Tree are among the higher-risk areas.
State deploys fire and flood resources
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said in a news release issued Oct. 9 that it was deploying mud and debris flow resources to San Bernardino County to strengthen local response ahead of the storm. The agency said it expects Rachel to make landfall across far Southern California Saturday night into early Sunday morning.
The resources going to San Bernardino County for Oct. 11 through 13 include two fire engines, one hand crew, one swift water rescue team and 35 firefighters, dispatchers and support personnel. Cal OES is also sending four fire engines, one water tender and 15 firefighters to Mono County for Oct. 10 and 11 because of Red Flag Warnings there.
The release said, “Rachel is moving quickly and will exit the area by Sunday morning.” It also said that deploying resources before the expected impacts lets Cal OES work with local first responders so they have enough resources to handle small incidents “before they become major disasters.”
Cal OES urges residents to prepare
Cal OES urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts, learn their flood risks and keep evacuation plans ready. The agency also asked drivers not to drive through floodwater.
The release did not describe specific impacts for Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County beach warning comes from the National Weather Service forecast office that covers Los Angeles and Oxnard.
Warning remains in effect through 3 p.m. Sunday
The Coastal Flood Warning for Los Angeles County beaches stays in effect through 3 p.m. Sunday, and rain is forecast to continue through Tuesday. The Long Beach Peninsula and the Balboa Peninsula remain the areas where officials have documented damage or flooding from the days leading up to the storm.
