San Diego Under Rare Tropical Storm Watch as Tropical Storm Rachel Nears Northern Baja Landfall
San Diego County was placed under a tropical storm watch on Saturday, only the second time on record for the region since the National Weather Service began issuing such alerts for Southern California in 2023. The previous occurrence was for Hurricane Hilary in 2023. The NWS San Diego office extended the watch to all San Diego County forecast zones and adjacent coastal waters.
Tropical Storm Rachel was packing maximum sustained winds near 60 mph while accelerating northeast at about 21 mph. The National Hurricane Center forecast the storm to make landfall in Mexico's northern Baja California Peninsula late Saturday or early Sunday, likely between Ensenada and Lazaro Cardenas, followed by rapid weakening after it moves inland.
Peak wind gusts in and around San Diego are expected early Sunday morning, ranging from 25 to 40 mph in lower elevations to 50 to 70 mph in the mountains, according to the National Weather Service. Stronger gusts are possible if Rachel takes a more northerly track, or weaker if it shifts farther south. A tropical storm warning is in effect on the west coast of Baja California from San Jose de Las Palomas northward to the U.S.-Mexico border.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center issued a Level 3 of 4 threat of flooding rainfall for Saturday night through Sunday across Southern California, southern Nevada, southwest Utah and northwest Arizona, including San Diego and Las Vegas. A Level 3 threat means numerous flash flood events are expected, with significant impacts possible.
San Diego and Las Vegas could see an inch or more of rainfall, roughly double San Diego's normal October total and triple that of Las Vegas. Desert areas cannot rapidly absorb intense bursts of rainfall, raising the likelihood of flash flooding inland. Residents are urged to clear storm drains, move vehicles to higher ground, never drive through flooded roads, and keep monitoring the latest advisories from the NWS San Diego office.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: NOAA / CIRA 卫星影像，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
