California is taking a beating from an unusually destructive 2026 Pacific hurricane season
Tropical storms rarely survive in the cool water off California, but waves from storms far to the south can still damaged coastal areas. And flooding rain can sweep in.
California is experiencing a significant impact from an unusually destructive 2026 Pacific hurricane season. National forecasters have issued a tropical storm watch for Southern California as Tropical Storm Rachel heads towards the region, bringing high tides, coastal flooding, and heavy rain from October 9-11. This marks the second time in history that such a watch has been issued for Southern California.
The 2026 season has been particularly active, with three hurricanes deluging Hawaii and Hurricane Marie causing damage near Los Angeles before veering away from the coast. The rainfall from Rachel has affected communities from San Diego to the desert Southwest, even leading to flooding in Las Vegas. While tropical storm impacts on California are unusual, they are not unprecedented.
The earliest known storm in Southern California was in 1858, when a Category 1 hurricane caused significant damage. A tropical storm in 1939 also hit Long Beach, bringing tropical-storm-force winds and over 4 inches of rain. While no other tropical storms have made direct landfall on the California coast since then, multiple recent storms over the open ocean have generated swells that have damaged port and pier infrastructure in the region.
El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm water in the eastern tropical Pacific, is increasing the probability of tropical storms approaching Southern California.
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