Some California beaches forced to close after 'unusually high' ocean water levels from Tropical Storm Rachel – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Some California beaches forced to close after ‘unusually high’ ocean water levels from Tropical Storm Rachel  ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel are fueling flooding in several Southern California coastal communities. All beaches and piers in Newport Beach, California, are closed, officials said. The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, along with a separate storm system over the Western United States, continued to sweep across the West on Sunday, fueling flooding in several Southern California coastal communities. Post-Tropical Storm Rachel made landfall in Baja California Saturday night, but as it moved in, its impact was already being felt along the West Coast. A combination of large ocean swells stirred up by Rachel and prolonged swells due in part to an El Niño-enhanced Kelvin wave has produced major flooding along Southern California's coast.

One of the hardest-hit areas has been Newport Beach in Orange County, which has been experiencing flooding since Friday. Main drags like Balboa Boulevard in Newport Beach and numerous adjacent streets have been drenched in floodwaters. The City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency on Saturday in response to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Rachel. "This declaration will help the City secure additional resources as crews continue working to protect homes, property and public safety," the city said in a statement on Saturday, adding that elevated surf and "unusually high ocean water levels" are expected to continue through the weekend, with the highest