Hurricane Rachel could make landfall in the San Diego-Tijuana area by Saturday night or Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center projected Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The Category 1 storm sat about 800 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula as of the NHC's 2 p.m. PDT advisory, packing sustained winds of 80 mph. Rachel was moving west-northwest at 7 mph but is forecast to slow down and make a sharp turn to the northeast by the end of the week, according to the NHC advisory.
The storm is expected to weaken to tropical storm strength before reaching the coast, FOX 5 San Diego reported. Even weakened, Rachel could bring heavy rainfall, flooding and life-threatening surf and rip currents to Southern California and Baja California beaches, the NHC warned.
La Jolla's exposed beaches face rising danger through Saturday and Sunday. A National Weather Service Beach Hazards Statement was in effect through Friday, Oct. 9, due to dangerous riptides intensified by the storm.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
Hurricane-force winds extended 35 miles from Rachel's center, and tropical-storm-force winds reached 125 miles out.
San Diego Council President Joe LaCava, who represents District 1 including La Jolla, warned residents on X on Wednesday to follow safety precautions at the beach while the hazards statement remains active.
@joelacavad1: "Hurricane Rachel is intensifying hazardous beach conditions, including dangerous riptides along the coast. A National Weather Service Beach Hazards Statement is in effect through Friday. Follow best practices, and stay safe when visiting beaches."
The city and county have been ramping up storm preparations. The San Diego City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, to confirm a local state of emergency ahead of El Niño, ratifying a proclamation Mayor Todd Gloria issued Oct. 2, according to NBC San Diego. The declaration followed emergency orders from the state and county.
"Being ready for severe weather means doing the work now, before storms arrive," Gloria said after the council vote. "That's what we've been doing for months: clearing storm channels, strengthening our infrastructure, coordinating emergency plans and helping San Diegans prepare."
City preparedness work includes clearing more than 11 miles of storm channels, planning sandbag distribution, reviewing evacuation routes and installing protective berms along beaches.
San Diego County leaders presented updated storm readiness plans to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, including a first-ever 24-hour operational plan, expanded multilingual alerts and more than 1,200 trained Disaster Service Workers, according to the County News Center.
The January 2024 storms damaged 4,856 structures countywide, according to FEMA data cited by FOX 5. County officials said the new plans build on lessons from that disaster.
During Hurricane Polo preparations in late September, San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley urged caution around beach hazard advisories. "When you see these types of beach hazard advisories from the National Weather Service … take extra precautions when you're in the water," Hadley told FOX 5 on Sept. 26.
Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall in San Diego County in August 2023 after weakening from a hurricane, the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in more than eight decades.
Residents can find sandbag locations and sign up for emergency alerts at alertsandiego.org. The NHC's next advisory was scheduled for 8 p.m. PDT Wednesday, with updates every six hours at nhc.noaa.gov.
