Tropical Storm Rachel Threatens Western States With Flooding and Snow

Communities across the western United States are preparing for a powerful combination of coastal waves, heavy rainfall, and mountain snow as Tropical Storm Rachel moves toward Southern California and its remnants track inland. On Thursday, October 8, 2026, large waves battered coastal neighborhoods, while forecasters warned that interacting weather systems could increase flooding risks across California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah through the following week.

According to ABC7, waves reaching up to 6 feet prompted a Coastal Flood Advisory covering beaches in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties through 2 p.m. Tuesday. In Utah, meteorologists forecast potentially several inches of precipitation in some areas, although the final amounts depend on Rachel's path and its interaction with a separate Pacific weather system.

Long Beach officials distributed thousands of sandbags to help residents protect properties from rising water. Meanwhile, forecasters identified a level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat across a broad area of the Southwest, including Phoenix and Las Vegas, where 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

In Long Beach, fire crews opened multiple stations to distribute sandbags as residents prepared for coastal flooding. Melanie Miller of the Long Beach Fire Department said low-lying neighborhoods and locations previously affected by flooding faced particular concerns.

"We want to remind residents this weekend the weather is going to change so if you are in the low lying areas, any area that has been impacted by flooding before, come and grab some sandbags," said Melanie Miller of the Long Beach Fire Department.

The department also activated stations 7, 12, 13, and 14 to provide sand for residents preparing their properties for the approaching storm.

"We have activated all of our fire stations that have sandbags available and specifically station 7, 12, 13 and 14 that have sand available for our residents," Miller said.

Residents expressed concern about the possibility of water entering homes near the shoreline. Long Beach resident Melissa Rose said her property sits beside a waterway, making the direction and extent of rising water difficult to predict.

"I was so grateful to see these guys here. Such a blessing. Our house is backed up right to a waterway so the fear is that we just don't know where the water is gonna go and we just don't want it coming into our homes," said Melissa Rose.

Building and safety officials surveyed coastal homes to determine whether any required yellow or red tags. Crews also reinforced beach berms and prepared additional sandbags as the region faced another round of rough surf following recent coastal damage.

Marilyn Flint, whose family has owned a home on the Long Beach peninsula for decades, said residents had already installed sandbags to protect their properties. Her family is concerned about its 105-year-old house as waves continue to batter the shoreline.

"I don't think you ever feel ready but we've done everything we can, I think," Flint said.

Farther inland, Utah could receive widespread rainfall as Rachel's remnants interact with a low-pressure system moving south along the Pacific Coast from Alaska. KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said the combined systems could produce substantial precipitation, with more widespread showers expected from Saturday afternoon and into the following week.

"We are talking about the potential for heavy rain with this," Johnson said.

KSL Weather models indicated that many Utah mountain areas could receive 1 to 3 inches of precipitation or more by Wednesday night. The Wasatch Front could see 0.75 to 1.5 inches or more, parts of central Utah could receive 0.40 inches, and Cache Valley could get 2 inches or more. Forecast totals had declined from earlier projections, illustrating the uncertainty surrounding Rachel's precise track.

Johnson explained that small changes in the storm's route could shift the heaviest rainfall between communities, while terrain could leave some locations with less precipitation.

"With each model run we see, it's kind of flip-flopping back and forth because it's a very finite detail of where Rachel goes, and that will determine where the heaviest rain will fall," Johnson said.

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City was evaluating whether to issue a flood watch ahead of the storm, according to meteorologist Hayden Mahan. Potential hazards include flash flooding in slot canyons, normally dry washes, slickrock areas, recent burn scars, and urban neighborhoods, particularly on Sunday and Monday.

Mahan said the expected rainfall could also provide a valuable boost to Utah's dry landscape, even though it would not substantially replenish reservoirs.

"Obviously, the potential for flooding is not anything we want to see, but in terms of the moisture, it's a great time to get our soil moisture healthy," Mahan said.

More than 75% of Utah remained in severe or extreme drought, according to the KSL report. Mountain snowpack supplies approximately 95% of the state's water, and improving soil moisture ahead of winter could help spring runoff replenish water resources more efficiently.

Mahan emphasized the potential value of receiving moisture before the winter snow season, despite the associated flooding concerns.

"This is actually a great time to see this amount of moisture," Mahan added.

Rachel is also expected to spread moisture into higher elevations, with snowfall possible in parts of the Sierra Nevada, Montana, and northern Wyoming. In Southern California, the rain could ease a week of sweltering heat, although forecasters warned that flooding and strong, gusty winds remain significant concerns.