Tropical Storm Rachel Floods SoCal

What happened

Tropical Storm Rachel moved toward Southern California as forecasters warned of coastal flooding, heavy rain and strong winds. The National Hurricane Center forecast landfall in northern Baja California. The threat is rare for California because very warm El Niño-linked ocean waters helped Rachel hold strength near the coast. San Diego had received a tropical storm watch only once before. Ahead of arrival, high surf flooded Newport Beach and Long Beach, damaging homes and streets. Newport Beach closed beaches and piers, declared an emergency, and used berms, pumps and tidal valves. Long Beach ordered evacuations in one shoreline area. Forecasters warned of life-threatening flash flooding and continued coastal flooding through Sunday.

How each side covered it

From the left

Left-leaning outlets framed Rachel as a broad regional danger, stressing inland flood risk as much as shoreline damage. CNN emphasized that Rachel was an unusual tropical-weather threat for Southern California, not a normal seasonal storm. The Los Angeles Times lingered on coastal communities where destructive surf overwhelmed defenses and forced urgent repairs.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets leaned into the storm’s destructive force on beach communities, with homes and lives presented as immediately at risk. The New York Post focused on emergency action along vulnerable shorelines, linking battered defenses and closures to the urgency of the response. It cited Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson describing impacts as “unprecedented” for the community.