The aftermath of Tropical Storm Rachel, combined with a separate weather system affecting the western United States, continued to batter the West Coast on Sunday, causing significant flooding in Southern California coastal neighborhoods. Although the storm made landfall Saturday evening in Baja California, its influence was already strongly felt along the U.S. shoreline.
According to officials, the severe flooding stems from a convergence of factors: massive ocean swells generated by Rachel and extended swell patterns amplified by an emerging El Niño and a Kelvin wave moving up the coast. This combination has led to major coastal inundation in the region.
Newport Beach in Orange County has been among the hardest hit, enduring flooding since Friday. Major thoroughfares such as Balboa Boulevard and several adjacent streets have been submerged. In response to the crisis, the City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency on Saturday.
Newport Beach submerged again? I thought the drought was over, but flooding is no joke. When will they close those streets for good?
Unbelievable that El Nino and storm remnants are hitting SoCal like this. Stay safe out there, everyone!