A tropical storm watch remains in effect for San Diego County, as well as other weather advisories, related to the advance of Tropical Storm Rachel in the region on Saturday.
“Moderate to heavy rain is expected late Saturday through Sunday afternoon, with the heaviest rain expected over the mountain, deserts, and across San Diego County,” the National Weather Service said in a release on Saturday afternoon.
The agency expected “additional light showers” to unfold on Monday, estimating that areas with larger populations would see up to around .25 inches, due to a separate colder weather system passing through the area.
The county remains under a tropical storm watch through Tuesday as well as a coastal flood warning through 3 p.m. Sunday and a flood advisory for the San Diego River at Fashion Valley, which is expected to crest at just over 8 feet before noon on Sunday before subsiding.
The agency also forecast increasing wind gusts through Sunday morning, with a peak of 25 mph gusts predicted for the San Diego metropolitan area. More intense winds are predicted for the mountain and desert areas, measuring between 40 and 55 mph in those parts of the county.
The NWS first issued a storm watch for the county on Friday, when Rachel was 900 miles from the Baja California coast. On Saturday, the agency said the storm’s track “has shifted further south,” expecting it to make landfall slightly inland in the Mexican border state.
Further up the California coast in Long Beach, footage showed high tides caused by the storm damaging beachfront homes. While no such damage has been reported in San Diego, officials activated shelter protocols for unhoused residents and opened up local recreation centers as pickup locations for empty sandbags.
Residents are being encouraged to report flooding or damage caused by the storm or flooding by phone at 619-527-7500 or using the Get It Done app, as well as using AlertSanDiego.org for emergency notifications and 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
