Rachel Brings Flooding to Southern California After Landfall

What changed

Rachel made landfall in Southern California and is no longer classified as a tropical storm. Spotty rain is expected for the next couple of days, while damaging flooding has reached some coastal homes in Long Beach.

Flood warnings are active in parts of San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties. In Newport Beach, a berm appeared to hold back the worst flooding on Sunday.

Why it matters

The storm’s label has changed, but the practical problem has not: water is already affecting homes, and warnings remain active across three counties. A storm does not need to remain “tropical” to leave streets, coastlines and low-lying communities dealing with dangerous water.

Newport Beach offers a narrow sign of protection holding for now, while Long Beach shows where that protection has failed. With rain expected to continue, conditions could still shift over the next couple of days. The full extent of damage and any wider disruption remains unclear.