A coastal flood warning blanketed beaches from Malibu to San Diego Saturday as Tropical Storm Rachel moved toward Southern California, while Long Beach kept some seaside residents under evacuation orders and Newport Beach closed its beaches and piers.
“For vulnerable south-facing beaches, particularly Long Beach and Malibu, devastating saltwater flooding is likely,” the National Weather Service said Saturday. The agency’s San Diego office said Rachel’s greatest impacts along the Orange and San Diego coasts would occur Sunday morning, when swells, onshore winds and high tides combine. The center of Rachel is expected to move toward northern Baja California Saturday evening, the National Hurricane Center said.
Long Beach’s mandatory order covers homes on Seaside Walk between 64th and 66th. It went into effect Friday at 7 p.m. and will continue until noon Tuesday, city officials said.
“The return date is subject to change depending on changing conditions,” a city release said.
Mike Carter, center, and his daughter Ellie Carter, 11, of Costa Mesa, wade through ocean water that washed onto the beach as a combination of high tide, high waves generated by distant Hurricane Rachel and a Kelvin wave moving toward Southern California contribute to coastal flooding Saturday in Newport Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The waves overtook the bulkhead and sent water into homes and streets, city officials said. Pumps placed in advance helped limit flooding. Crews were carrying out emergency repairs to the bulkhead when conditions permitted. Inspectors marked eight buildings red, covering 13 addresses, and one yellow. A red tag indicates that a building is dangerous and a yellow tag restricts its use. The city closed the peninsula to non-resident traffic, with more street closures starting at 62nd Place.
In Newport Beach, police posted an online alert Saturday saying ongoing flooding had closed all beaches and piers in the city until further notice.
“Stay away from these areas,” police advised. The announcement follows Newport Beach’s declaration of a local emergency Friday following overnight flooding on the Balboa Peninsula.
Newport Beach said crews were rebuilding berms, opening tide gates and running pumps. “These measures are intended to reduce the potential impacts of flooding, but cannot eliminate all flood risks,” the city said.
Joe Angelo has lived in the Newport Beach area for 60 years and purchased his beachfront home 27 years ago. He said the flooding had left him in “shock and disbelief”.
Robert Wells removes sand from his car tires Saturday at 69th Place on the Long Beach Peninsula.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“I haven’t seen a drop of water on this sand in 27 years. All sand, not a drop of water,” Angelo said. “We all love living on this waterfront. But, boy, it makes you think twice.”
Sandbags lined dozens of homes and businesses near Balboa Boulevard Saturday morning. Beachgoers strolled with coffee in hand, went for morning runs, and walked their dogs. Despite warnings, many climbed the sand berms to watch the waves. Some did backflips on the sand.
Chris Perkins of Orange County brought his son Connor to see the waves. “I grew up around the ocean and I’m just trying to expose my kid to the gnarly waves and show him how to be safe and how to do it the right way,” Perkins said.
In Long Beach, cars lined up Saturday in a Peninsula parking lot as firefighters loaded sandbags into trunks. Light rain began to fall shortly before noon.
Huntington Beach also activated its emergency operations center Friday, the city said. Many spectators watched the waves break at high tide on Saturday morning. Cyclists, walkers and runners traveled the white concrete path along Bolsa Chica National Beach. A section that flooded Friday appeared to escape more trouble Saturday, despite signs saying “flooded.”
The weather service issued a tropical storm watch for most of San Diego County on Friday.
People gather along the boardwalk as heavy machinery builds sand berms on the Long Beach Peninsula on Saturday.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
“Of note, this is an unusual event made possible by both the coincidence of the early arrival of this trough of low pressure off the coast of California and the record warm ocean temperatures — and I mean record heat — off the coast of California at this time,” said Daniel Swain, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources climatologist.
Inland in southern San Bernardino County, there is at least a 40% chance of excessive rain that could lead to flash flooding through Saturday evening, said Julie Phillipson, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Las Vegas. “Our main concern remains the heavy rains and flooding that may occur,” she said during a press briefing on Saturday.
Associate Editor Shelby Grad contributed to this report.
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