Tropical Storm Rachel's remnants flooded the Five Points intersection in Coronado and prompted a countywide 72-hour water-contact advisory for beachgoers.
The Coronado Police Department closed the intersection of Pomona Avenue, Glorietta Boulevard and Tenth Street on Sunday, Oct. 11, citing the threat of flooding combined with high tides and heavy surf. The department reopened Five Points on Sunday, warning drivers not to go around barricades or drive through standing water because floodwaters could hide road damage.
Rachel's outer bands arrived Saturday evening, Oct. 10, earlier than forecasters expected, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The storm dumped up to 5 inches of rain on parts of San Diego County, CBS 8 reported. North Island Naval Air Station recorded 0.72 inches over the three-day period ending Monday morning, according to KPBS citing National Weather Service data.
Surf peaked at 6 to 9 feet Sunday while tides exceeded 7 feet, the National Weather Service said. That combination of extreme high tides, storm surge and large waves caused beach erosion and flooded coastal roads across the county.
Off Coronado Beach early Sunday, a man's sailboat ran aground and began taking on water. A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Ventura lowered a rescue swimmer to free the man from the cabin, as we reported Oct. 12. He was rescued around 7:15 a.m. and transported for medical care.
The San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) issued a rain advisory Sunday for all coastal beaches and bays. The agency warned that urban runoff raises bacteria levels near storm drains, creeks, rivers and lagoon outlets and can cause illness. The DEHQ advised swimmers, surfers and divers to stay out of the water during rain and for 72 hours afterward, NBC 7 reported. That 72-hour window from Sunday's advisory would have closed by Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Across the county, the storm stripped sand from beaches already vulnerable after months of limited replenishment. At Windansea Beach in La Jolla, waves crashed over the landmark Surf Shack and left stairways suspended above exposed rocks, CBS 8 reported. The Tamarack State Beach parking lot in Carlsbad closed as waves surged over the shoreline.
The erosion was severe.
Joe Bredenberg, a longtime surfer at Tamarack State Beach, described the damage to CBS 8: "There's been times a lot of sand has been taken away during El Niño, but nothing like this in my 40 years."
Before the storm, geologist Pat Abbott warned CBS 8 that Rachel could accelerate cliff erosion at Sunset Cliffs.
A coastal flood advisory remained in effect through Tuesday, Oct. 13, with the National Weather Service warning of hazardous surf and rip currents. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department stayed on water-rescue status Monday, Oct. 12, with swift-water teams staged near vulnerable areas. Meteorologists canceled the storm watch for the San Diego area that day as the post-tropical cyclone moved north.
Dry conditions and gradually increasing temperatures are expected through Friday, Oct. 16, with Santa Ana winds forecast to strengthen Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17.
