Rachel moves in as ‘unprecedented’ conditions bring SoCal coastal flooding – Los Angeles Times

Rachel moves in as ‘unprecedented’ conditions bring SoCal coastal flooding  Los Angeles Times

Post-Tropical Cyclone Rachel was moving into Baja California as Southern California braced for rain and potential coastal flooding on Sunday. The National Weather Service said Southern California can expect increasing rain and strong, damaging waves along the coast early Sunday as Rachel moves through Baja and into the southwest United States. Rachel is one piece of a highly unusual combination of events that underscores the challenges California is facing amid predictions of a "super" El Niño winter. The conditions led to coastal flooding that damaged homes and flooded roads this week from Newport Beach to Long Beach in recent days. Those areas are now bracing for more impact. The flooding was extraordinary, and scientists said they show how Rachel, along with high tides, a record-hot ocean and El Niño-fueled waves, can overwhelm coastal areas.

“The combination of high tides, Kelvin wave, hurricane waves — and then a whole summer worth of that? This is unprecedented,” said Jonathan Warrick, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. “And this is what we got to look forward to in the future,” with a long El Niño season ahead, and the possibility of a relentless parade of winter storms and king tides during the holiday season. The center of Rachel made landfall in northern Baja California Saturday night, and by 11 p.m., was