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Long Beach Orders Evacuations as Storm Rachel Floods

By Drooid · Oct 12, 2026, 2:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Mayor Orders Evacuation

Long Beach officials declared eight homes unsafe after waves destroyed the boardwalk.
Mayor Rex Richardson ordered evacuation of homes on Walk between 64th and 66th Place at 7 p.m. Oct. 9.
National Weather Service warned of seawater flooding and tides up to 8 feet along Long Beach and Malibu.
City fire stations delivered 7,600 sandbags, including thirty 3,000-pound bags, to reinforce the 64th Place bulkhead.

Summary

Storm Rachel Triggers Watch

Tropical Storm Rachel triggered the first tropical storm watch for Southern California since 2023.
Scientists attribute the unprecedented flooding to a record-warm ocean, a strong El Niño, and a Kelvin wave raising sea levels.
The storm’s moisture generated flash-flood warnings for desert communities from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City.
Researchers warn that similar climate patterns could make coastal surges more common in future winters.

History

Historical Context

Tropical Storm Rachel has prompted Mayor Rex Richardson to order evacuations in Los Angeles County. The region’s flood risk echoes past disasters such as the 1938 Los Angeles flood that killed over 110 people and spurred concrete flood-control channels, the 1939 El Cordonazo storm that struck Long Beach, and the 1997 California New Year’s floods that caused more than $2 billion in damage and displaced 120,000 residents.

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Mayor Orders Evacuation

Long Beach officials declared eight homes unsafe after waves destroyed the boardwalk.
Mayor Rex Richardson ordered evacuation of homes on Walk between 64th and 66th Place at 7 p.m. Oct. 9.
National Weather Service warned of seawater flooding and tides up to 8 feet along Long Beach and Malibu.
City fire stations delivered 7,600 sandbags, including thirty 3,000-pound bags, to reinforce the 64th Place bulkhead.

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