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Tropical Storm Rachel has been downgraded but continues to bring heavy rain, high winds, and flash flood risks across California’s desert southwest and into Utah and Nevada. In southern California, coastal areas faced significant damage from surging waves breaching protective berms in cities like Long Beach and Newport Beach. The storm also caused rockslides in some inland regions and broke daily rainfall records in Las Vegas. With forecasters predicting an exceptionally strong El Niño this winter, which could result in record-breaking precipitation and severe weather conditions well into next year, California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to prepare for potential flooding and other hazards.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Hurricane Rachel, originally forecasted to weaken and head toward Baja California, has taken an unexpected turn towards Southern California. The National Weather Service predicts dangerous coastal conditions including waves up to 15 feet in areas like San Diego County and Long Beach, with the potential for isolated road closures due to flooding. In Long Beach, eight structures were red-tagged as unsafe, and another was yellow-tagged, indicating severe damage from high tides and powerful waves that have washed away sand berms and damaged homes. Newport Beach closed all its beaches and piers amid overnight coastal flooding and high surf, deploying up to 18 pumps to drain flooded streets. The storm's impact is exacerbated by a concurrent heatwave in Los Angeles, where four consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures were recorded, setting nine daily maximum-temperature records across the region.
Written for “Tropical Storm Rachel Hits California” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 11 other(s) covering the same event.
Tropical Storm Rachel downgraded as high winds and rain turn inward
asserted
winds → downgrade → ?
The National Weather Service said on Sunday that Rachel has been downgraded to a post-tropical storm after causing flooding and damage in southern California over the weekend before moving inland across the desert southwest.
asserted
Rachel → say → desert
The region is still at risk of flash floods as the storm's remnants were expected to continue dumping rain and bringing wind gusts through the weekend, the weather service said, adding that high surf would continue battering coastal communities.
asserted
surf → expect → communities
Oceanfront homes in coastal California cities, such as Long Beach and Newport Beach, were partially submerged as heavy surf breached sand berms that had been erected to keep the water away.
asserted
that → submerge → water
Flood warnings remained in effect for much of the California coastline through the weekend, from San Diego up to the San Francisco Bay area.
asserted
warnings → remain → area
As the storm moved inland and northeast, some areas saw rockslides that temporarily blocked roads.
asserted
that → move → roads
Rain pounded Las Vegas, which broke a daily rainfall record Sunday.
asserted
which → pound → record
And the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of Utah, including Salt Lake City, which it said would get heavy rain beginning Sunday evening.
asserted
it → issue → rain
Forecasters warned that Rachel could be just a preview of what's to come for California over the next several months.
uncertain
what → warn → months
They expect this winter to usher in the strongest El Niño weather pattern on record — which brings hotter-than-average ocean temperatures — and with it likely record rainfall, explosive surf and mudslides well into next year.
asserted
which → expect → year
Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation, releasing money and other resources so the state could start preparing to protect critical infrastructure and educate the state's residents on how to prepare for severe weather.
uncertain
state → issue → weather
"That means getting flood-fighting supplies into position, bolstering our water infrastructure, and helping communities across the Golden State prepare," Newsom said in a statement following the proclamation.
asserted
Newsom → mean → proclamation
The state is pre-positioning more than 4 million sandbags, more than 50,000 feet of portable flood barriers and 400,000 tons of rock to repair levees.
asserted
state → pre → levees
It's also inspecting dams across the state and taking other precautions, such as strengthening the pillars that hold up beach piers.
asserted
that → inspect → piers
The strong El Niño is also expected to bring severe weather to Mexico.
asserted
Niño → expect → Mexico
Over the weekend, Hurricane Simon lashed at the country's Pacific Coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
asserted
Simon → lash → hurricane
The eye of the storm was moving parallel to the coastline about 60 miles offshore, near the city of Manzanillo.
asserted
eye → move → Manzanillo
It's unclear if the storm will make landfall, but Mexican officials said they expected heavy damage from its pounding rains and winds nonetheless.
uncertain
they → make → rains
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents to stay indoors.
asserted
Sheinbaum → urge → residents
"Precautionary evacuations to safe zones are ongoing," she wrote on social media.
asserted
she → write → media
"The priority is to protect ourselves."
asserted
priority → protect → ourselves
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