At least one person has died and homes have been destroyed or damaged with their residents evacuated as Storm Rachel crashed into southern California. Remnants of the storm unleashed massive waves that tore apart homes, with fresh fears further surges could be on the way.
Waves and damage in Long Beach
Forecasters warned the greatest risk on Sunday came from high tides, but that surges could follow which could damage low-lying areas in coastal California. Massive waves were seen crashing into homes in Long Beach and smashing up boardwalks as the state dealt with its second-ever tropical storm watch. At least one house along the shoreline appeared to have suffered significant damage, with shattered window glass left on the ground alongside broken wood.
Other images showed the moment two people were rescued after getting stuck in a flood control channel in San Bernardino County. Firefighters said they were alerted by a man who claimed to have become trapped in rising waters. He and a woman inside a tunnel that fed into the main flood channel were pulled to safety.
Fatalities and flood warnings
A possibly-homeless man died on Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey, in Los Angeles, during the storm, according to the LA County Fire Department Lifeguard Division. The National Weather Service said on Sunday that coastal flooding remains a threat in San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo until Tuesday.
California and other states on the West Coast of the US have been preparing for extreme weather events amid the record-setting El Niño. The latest forecast outlook from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said on October 8 that El Niño "continues to strengthen" and is more than 83 per cent likely to be a strong event until between January and March next year.
Evacuations and preparations
There was a mandatory evacuation order in place on Friday for part of the Long Beach area. An evacuation advisory was also in place for all Naples Island, Treasure Island and all other regions of the Long Beach peninsula. State employees were seen fortifying beaches and properties in California in the hours ahead of Storm Rachel making landfall.
The centre of Storm Rachel was expected to move across northern Baja California in Mexico as well as coastal regions in southern California across the border. Further flash flood warnings were issued for regions such as San Diego, Newport Beach and Long Beach. The National Weather Service said the Los Angeles area could see high chances of rain on Sunday and Monday, with some smaller possibilities of rain on Tuesday morning.
The Long Beach Marathon is due to go ahead despite the storm striking the coastal region. Organisers said a small section of the race ran along the beach and will be re-routed. There were multiple coastal flood warnings and advisories along the California coast amid a risk of flooding in the region.
