Posted on October 14, 2026
Communities across Southern California are in cleanup mode after a rare combination of severe weather and ocean conditions unleashed flooding and damaging surf across the region.
The latest round of coastal chaos began Thursday, as Tropical Storm Rachel sent large swells barreling toward the Southern California coastline. By Friday, powerful surf combined with unusually high tides and elevated ocean levels caused major flooding in Newport Beach and Long Beach, with impacts reported elsewhere along the coast.
Dramatic videos show waves crashing over barriers and into homes in Long Beach, while streets on Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula disappeared beneath several inches of seawater.
The City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency Friday in response to the flooding.
“This declaration will help the City secure additional resources as crews continue working to protect homes, property and public safety,” the city said, warning that elevated surf and “unusually high ocean water levels” would continue through the weekend.
The worst of the coastal flooding has passed, but concerns persist. A coastal flood advisory will remain in effect for beaches in Orange and San Diego counties through 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The Long Beach Peninsula was particularly hard hit by the latest storm. Powerful waves tore apart sections of the historic boardwalk and damaged the bulkhead that protects oceanfront homes. Eight structures representing 13 addresses have been red-tagged, meaning they are unsafe to enter. Another structure has been yellow-tagged.
Rachel was just the latest tropical system to batter the already-vulnerable Long Beach Peninsula. Hurricane Marie caused significant damage and erosion in early September. Weeks later, Hurricane Polo sent another round of powerful surf toward the coast. By the time Rachel arrived, the cumulative damage had left the shoreline even more exposed.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the recent weather event is a reminder of the importance of investing in climate and coastal resilience.
“You have to build more climate-resilient infrastructure. Because 100 years ago it wasn’t necessarily anticipated that we’d have this cadence of pressure — three major storm systems in six weeks is unprecedented in this region,” Richardson told the Los Angeles Times.
Long Beach has developed a seven-point plan to protect the Peninsula, including emergency repairs, replenishing lost sand, additional coastal protection, and pursuing funding for longer-term solutions. Crews have also reinforced damaged areas with lumber and sandbags while the city accelerates a dredging project to move additional sand onto the beach.
Southern California may need those defenses sooner rather than later. El Niño has already contributed to unusually warm and elevated ocean waters along the California coast, increasing the potential for high tides and large waves to produce flooding. And experts are predicting it will bring wetter-than-normal conditions during the winter months.
