Kelvin Wave Raises SoCal Sea Levels As Tropical Storm Rachel Threatens Coast
- On Friday, October 9, 2026, powerful waves from Tropical Storm Rachel battered the Long Beach Peninsula, breaching the protective bulkhead and forcing authorities to red-tag three homes along the boardwalk.
- City crews rebuilt sand berms on Thursday, yet persistent wave energy destroyed about 30 feet of protective bulkhead between 65th and 66th places, prompting building inspectors to issue preliminary red tags on Thursday for structures at 6400 and 6500 Seaside Walk.
- Long Beach has distributed over 15,000 sandbags across three recent storms to protect residents, while resident Bon Senske said the situation represents "uncharted territory" with conditions unusually severe even for longtime locals.
- Sunday morning brings the greatest coastal flooding threat as high tides approaching 7 feet combine with incoming swells of 6 to 9 feet, according to forecasters. NBC4 meteorologist Belen De Leon noted, "Sunday is the day to watch when we could have those larger swells."
- Scientists report an 83 percent likelihood this year's El Niño will reach strong-to-very-strong levels, potentially making history, while Kelvin waves on the West Coast can raise sea levels by up to a foot, aggravating coastal flood threats.
22 Articles
22 Articles
In California storm surge warning applies, because the tropical storm "Rachel" already pushes the ocean waves dangerously to the coast.In California storm surge warning applies, because the tropical storm "Rachel" already pushes the ocean waves dangerously to the coast.
Reforma
elnorte.comHeavy waves hit California, damaging homes and causing water to overflow as storm Rachel approaches.
Intense waves hit the southern coast of California, damaging properties and generating flooding, as residents prepare for Rachel's impact.The tropical storm, degraded by hurricane, threatens strong winds and rains, intensifying the risk of flooding in areas such as Long Beach.
Three Long Beach homes were marked with red seals for wave damage; Newport Beach declared a local state of emergency due to flooding
Damaged beachfront homes, flooded streets: powerful waves caused damage in southern California on Friday, on the eve of a weekend when a rare tropical storm threatened the coast.
LA Daily News
OC RegisterLong Beach Peninsula already seeing flooding, damage as high tide, swell increase ahead of storm
Long Beach Peninsula residents were already seeing flooding and damage to the bulkhead, boardwalk and homes on Friday morning, Oct. 9.
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