Tropical Storm Rachel pushed seawater into the streets of Newport Beach, California, on Friday morning (October 9). The Balboa Peninsula was hit hardest, with several streets flooded and standing water around the Wedge. Videos taken around 10 a.m. showed salt water deep enough to cover feet, with some vehicles stalled in the flood. The city declared a local emergency the same day.
The flooding came from a triple combination: high tides, long-period south swells, and storm surge from Tropical Storm Rachel. The city warned residents and drivers to avoid the Balboa Peninsula — "do not drive through flooded streets" — and asked people to move vehicles to higher ground. The National Weather Service has a coastal flooding advisory in effect through 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The emergency declaration lets the city run drainage pumps around the clock and build protective sand berms. Six crews are rebuilding breached sand berms, while other teams operate pumps and open tide valves to drain the water. The city is giving away free prefilled sandbags at its Corporation Yard at 592 Superior Avenue, with empty bags available at fire stations and from lifeguards on the peninsula. Rep. Dave Min said his office is "closely monitoring the situation."
Nearby Long Beach is also taking on water: crews red-tagged two structures and yellow-tagged three along the Alamitos Peninsula and have distributed more than 7,600 sandbags to residents. San Diego County is under a tropical storm watch.
The setup for this flooding was laid months ago. Surf outlet The Inertia reports that a summer and fall of El Nino-fueled hurricane swells stripped huge amounts of sand from the Wedge, exposing an old pier, rocks, and rusted metal. A local surf videographer said in August it was the worst erosion he had ever seen. With the beach's natural buffer gone, the ocean walked straight in: Friday morning's 5.8-foot high tide, stacked on the swells, pushed seawater into shoreline yards and homes.
Forecasters expect tides of 6.5 to 7 feet during high-tide periods this weekend, with waves up to 7 feet along Orange County — 9 feet in the biggest sets — plus dangerous rip currents. Another round of south swells arrives Sunday through Tuesday, with the heaviest surf expected Sunday. A local pro surfer told The Inertia, "It's already bad, and the swell coming is a lot bigger." Drying conditions return Wednesday, with a fast warm-up Thursday and Friday and possible Santa Ana winds late next week.
For Southern California coastal residents, the weekend playbook is simple: stay away from the ocean, move the car, and grab sandbags.