Can Long Beach residents return after Rachel’s downgrade?

The red tags followed high-tide impacts on 13 addresses on Friday, Oct. 9, CBS Los Angeles reported. The Associated Press reported that waves battered the city’s wooden boardwalk and forced homeowners to evacuate.

Some residents on the Long Beach peninsula had evacuation orders scheduled to remain in effect through Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Chronicle reported. A red tag means a structure is unsafe to enter; a yellow tag indicates moderate damage. Those safety designations describe specific buildings, not the full scope of damage across the area.

What does Rachel’s post-tropical classification mean?

The National Hurricane Center classified Rachel as post-tropical on Saturday, Oct. 10, after the storm lost organized deep thunderstorms and its circulation became elongated and less defined. The classification describes a change in the storm’s structure, not the safety of homes or a clearance for residents to return.

The National Weather Service in San Diego said Rachel no longer had tropical characteristics and tropical-storm-level impacts in San Diego County would diminish. It also warned that coastal flooding, beach erosion, wind and heavy rain remained concerns, including rain that could cause localized or flash flooding.

For people facing damage in Long Beach, the practical conditions remained: some buildings were unsafe to enter, and evacuation orders were still in place for some residents.

How much rain and wind did Rachel bring?

In a statement issued at 3:18 a.m. PDT on Sunday, Oct. 11, the National Weather Service reported preliminary rainfall observations in San Diego County. Totals ranged from 0.48 to 0.95 inches in coastal areas, 0.55 to 2.37 inches in valleys, 0.32 to 2.15 inches in mountains and 0.76 to 1.57 inches in desert areas.

The same update reported sustained winds of 59 mph in parts of the county, with stronger gusts during thunderstorms. The figures describe conditions observed by the time of the early-morning statement, while the service warned that heavy rain could still trigger localized or flash flooding.

Which hazards remained after Rachel’s downgrade?

The National Weather Service forecast surf of 6 to 9 feet on Sunday, easing to 3 to 6 feet on Monday and Tuesday. Swells, onshore winds and high tides over 7 feet were expected to maintain coastal-flooding and beach-erosion risks, even as widespread rain was forecast to decrease.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said Sunday’s impacts could extend beyond the peninsula. Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan said crews had distributed more than 11,000 sandbags and urged residents to prepare emergency bags in case further evacuations were needed. The city also deployed 30 sandbags weighing 3,000 pounds each to reinforce a damaged bulkhead.

The National Weather Service’s warnings about remaining hazards continued after Rachel’s classification changed. In Long Beach, the reported damage, unsafe structures and evacuation orders made clear that the downgrade was not an all-clear for affected residents.