Powerful waves lash California coast as storm threatens more damage
Powerful waves thrashed communities along California's southern coast Friday, damaging homes and sending water cascading through streets as residents braced for more potential damage wrought by Tropical Storm Rachel.
On Friday, powerful waves battered California's southern coastline, causing extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, as Tropical Storm Rachel brought the threat of further destruction and coastal flooding. The storm, which had downgraded from a hurricane, was expected to make a rare landfall near the California–Mexico border early Sunday.
The National Weather Service warned that strong winds and heavy rains could lead to more significant coastal flooding and destruction. Coastal communities, including Long Beach and Malibu, were particularly vulnerable, with significant sections of the boardwalk in Long Beach collapsing under the weight of the waves and several homes sustaining serious structural damage.
High tides of over 7 feet were anticipated each morning, exacerbating the risk of seawater flooding. Local officials had distributed sandbags to residents in vulnerable areas. Despite being a slightly weakened tropical storm, Rachel continued to pose coastal hazards, with a tropical storm watch issued for all of San Diego County, marking only the second time such a watch had been issued in California.
Maximum sustained winds reached near 45 miles per hour, with higher gusts possible. The storm was part of an unusually active Pacific hurricane season fueled by the extreme El Niño pattern. El Niño, occurring every 2 to 7 years, raises surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and weakens vertical wind shear, allowing storm systems to grow stronger.
Human-caused climate change has exacerbated El Niño's impacts by increasing atmospheric moisture and intensifying rainfall. This year's El Niño showed signs of strengthening, with a 83% likelihood of reaching strong to very strong levels into the winter, potentially making history. A coastal Kelvin wave, a slow-moving water surge, also contributed to the elevated sea levels, exacerbating the flood risks along the West Coast.
All these factors combined created a dangerous situation for the West Coast, according to climate scientist Marc Alessi.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
