The National Weather Service is urging the public to stay off San Diego County beaches Sunday due to the widespread flooding that’s expected to be caused by Tropical Storm Rachel and other powerful forces of nature.
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Rachel is generating strong waves that will combine with a south swell and a very high tide, producing breakers that will reach 6 to 9 feet in some areas. The tide is expected to peak about 9:45 a.m. Sunday, reaching 7 to 7.5 feet.
Those factors and Rachel’s strong winds will push water up and over some beaches, forecasters said. The wind could gust up to 30 mph. The situation has been worsened, to a degree, by El Niño, which has helped make the ocean warmer than normal. That causes sea level to rise.
Coastal cities could get a half-inch to 1.50 inches of rain, much of which will fall before dawn on Sunday. The heaviest rain will occur in the local mountains, where 2 to 3 inches could hit some areas. Runoff from the rain will cause the San Diego River to reach 8 feet 1 inch in depth early Sunday near the Fashion Valley mall.
Winds will be even stronger inland, possibly gusting more than 50 mph. Flash flooding also is likely to occur.
Read more Photos: Tropical Storm Rachel prep
“We’re asking people to stay off the beaches because all of these things are coming together at one time,” said Chandler Price, a weather service forecaster.
Late Saturday, Rachel was about 390 miles southwest of San Diego, moving briskly to the northeast. Forecasters said the core of the storm was likely to come ashore about 100 miles south of Tijuana before dawn Sunday. The outer edges of the system will cycle into San Diego County, which hasn’t received significant rain since spring.
The entire county is under a tropical storm watch for only the second time in its history. It last occurred in August 2023 when Tropical Storm Hilary drew near.
(Readers who see storm damage are asked to share their sightings with the Union-Tribune. Send an email to [email protected]).
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