Tropical Storm Rachel swamps San Diego County with heavier-than-expected rain

Key Points:

• Remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel caused unexpected heavy impacts in San Diego County early Sunday, including coastal flooding, beach erosion, and flooding on Highway 101 near Carlsbad, along with multiple water rescues.
• The storm dropped significantly more rainfall than forecasted, with Palomar Mountain receiving over 5 inches, and various inland and coastal areas recording between 1 and 3 inches of rain by midday Sunday.
• Despite warnings to avoid beaches due to flooding risks, crowds gathered on Oceanside’s coast to watch waves crash, leading to vehicles being struck by surf and prompting safety concerns.
• Emergency responders dealt with more than 50 traffic collisions, multiple fires, downed wires, and conducted at least three water rescues involving people trapped in stormwater or stranded on a sailboat near Coronado.
• Power outages affected over 330 customers in the Otay Mesa-San Ysidro area, and infrastructure damage included significant erosion of the berm protecting the Del Mar Lifeguard headquarters.