Tropical Storm Rachel to fuel dangerous flash flood threat in the Southwest
The storm is headed for landfall over northern Baja California.
Tropical Storm Rachel is racing northeast and headed for landfall over northern Baja California on Saturday night.
Tropical Storm Warnings are up from San Jose de Las Palomas in Baja California up to the U.S.-Mexico border. Tropical Storm Watches were issued for parts of the southern California coast from the U.S.-Mexico border up to the San Diego-Orange County Line.
A level 3 of 4 "moderate risk" of flash flooding is up for parts of southern California, including San Diego and Indio.
Orange County beaches in Southern California were preparing for the impacts through the distribution of sandbags and even the brief closure of entire beaches.
The City of Newport Beach on Saturday declared a local emergency in response to coastal flooding, saying all piers were closed until further notice. Earlier, the city had closed its beaches in response to the storm.
On Sunday, the flood threat stretches farther into the Southwest.
A level 3 of 4 "moderate risk" of flash flooding is up for parts of southern California, northwest Arizona, southern Nevada and southwest Utah. This area includes Las Vegas, San Bernardino, California, the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and St. George, Utah.
Additionally, 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible across portions of the interior Southwest over the next 48 hours. The highest totals will be in mountainous areas, with isolated rainfall totals over 3 inches possible.
Strong wind gusts will also impact parts of the region on Sunday, with the highest gusts over the mountain regions throughout the day.