Storm Rachel Hits Baja California, Over 100 Evacuated
STORM · MEXICO
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico’s Baja California state borders California. Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada sit within a short drive of San Diego.
- —Why it matters Storm Rachel is crossing the border region. Its rain and wind reach Southern California and the US Southwest, where flash flooding is possible.
- —Why now At 11 p.m. local time on Saturday 10 October, the US National Hurricane Center placed Rachel’s centre 80 miles south-southeast of San Diego, moving inland.
- —What happened On Saturday 10 October, Baja California moved more than 100 people out of the Tijuana River canal. Ensenada closed its port to shipping.
- —The numbers Winds of 60 mph (95 km/h), tropical-storm-force winds up to 140 miles from the centre and 1 to 3 inches of rain in Baja California.
- —What it means for you Avoid beaches, river beds and flooded roads on both sides of the border on Sunday. Check routes before driving south from San Diego.
- —Still open The exact landfall point and time, and any official count of damage or casualties in Baja California.
Storm Rachel pushed into northern Baja California overnight into Sunday 11 October, bringing 60 mph (95 km/h) winds to the Mexican state that borders California. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the centre was moving inland about 80 miles (130 km) south-southeast of San Diego.
For Americans, storm Rachel is a border story. Its rain, wind and heavy surf reach Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada, and then Southern California and the US Southwest.
Rachel is a different storm from Hurricane Simon, which is threatening Mexico’s central Pacific coast at the same time. We reported on Simon in Simon Closes Puerto Vallarta Airport Until 12 October.
Where Rachel Was Overnight
The NHC, the federal forecasting office in Miami, issued its 56th advisory on Rachel at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday. It reclassified the system as a post-tropical cyclone.
Forecasters said Rachel had lacked organised deep thunderstorms for more than 12 hours. Its centre had become stretched and poorly defined. They stressed that this did not mean the threat had eased.
At 11 p.m. local time, the poorly defined centre was near latitude 31.5 north, longitude 116.5 west. It was moving north-northeast at 36 mph (57 km/h), with central pressure of 987 millibars.
Tropical-storm-force winds reached up to 140 miles (220 km) from the centre. The NHC expects Rachel to weaken quickly on Sunday morning and dissipate over the US Southwest by Sunday afternoon.
Baja California’s state civil protection office gave a similar picture. It expected 20 to 50 mm (0.8 to 2 inches) of rain and winds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in several municipalities on Saturday night and Sunday.
What Happened on the Ground
In Tijuana, the state government said it moved more than 100 people out of the Tijuana River canal on Saturday. Many people live in the concrete channel, where currents can rise during heavy rain.
The operation was led by the state cabinet office under Ariel Lizárraga Montero. It was carried out by state civil protection, social welfare teams, the DIF family agency and state police.
Officials said people were offered a voluntary place in a shelter. The state is governed by Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda of Morena, the left-wing party of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
In the port city of Ensenada, the Tijuana weekly ZETA reported problems through Saturday. The port was closed to shipping, traffic lights failed and several neighbourhoods were without power for more than five hours.
The Mexican Navy’s Second Naval Zone expected the worst in Ensenada between 11 p.m. on Saturday and 4 a.m. on Sunday. It forecast gusts near 100 km/h and up to 75 mm of rain on high ground.
Mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz said the city had set up a command centre with civil protection, firefighters and municipal police.
In Rosarito, high waves reached some homes near La Bardita beach on Saturday morning, according to city police. No damage was reported, and two traffic accidents caused only material losses.
The Mexican Red Cross sent extra crews from Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito to San Quintín, Ensenada and Tecate. It said these areas were the most exposed to the storm.
There was one weak point. ZETA visited the shelter listed for Tijuana, at the Unidad Deportiva Reforma sports ground, and found no staff, beds or food. State officials blamed the city government of Mayor Ismael Burgueño.
What It Means for You
A tropical storm warning covers the west coast of Baja California and Baja California Sur from Punta Eugenia to the US border. A second warning covers the Gulf of California coast from Isla San Luis to Puerto Peñasco, in Sonora.
On the US side, a tropical storm watch covers the Southern California coast from the border to the San Diego and Orange County line. The NHC expects 1 to 3 inches of rain in parts of the US Southwest, locally up to 5 inches.
The NHC also warned of life-threatening surf and rip currents in Southern California and northern Baja California. Major coastal flooding had already hit some areas, with water up to 1.5 feet above forecast levels.
Travellers heading south from San Diego on Sunday should expect wet roads, debris and possible closures. Stay away from beaches, river channels and dips in roads, where water can rise fast.
The stabilising factor is that Rachel is weakening and moving fast. Most of the wind and rain should clear the region within a day, though high surf may last into next week.
Rachel has been active for more than ten days. We first covered it as a hurricane in Hurricane Rachel Brings Rain to Four Mexican States.
What Is Not Known
The NHC said Rachel was expected to reach the northern Baja California coast late on Saturday night. The exact landfall time and place had not been confirmed in an official report by early Sunday.
No state or federal authority had published a count of damage, injuries or deaths from storm Rachel in Baja California by early Sunday. It is also not clear how many people used the state shelters overnight.
The reopening time for Ensenada’s port had not been announced. Power restoration figures from the state utility CFE were also not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Storm Rachel make landfall?
The NHC expected Rachel to come ashore on the northern Baja California coast late on Saturday 10 October. By 11 p.m. local time its centre was about 80 miles south-southeast of San Diego and moving inland.
Is San Diego under a storm warning?
San Diego is under a tropical storm watch, not a warning. The watch covers the coast from the Mexican border to the San Diego and Orange County line.
Is Rachel the same storm as Hurricane Simon?
No. Rachel hit Baja California in the northwest. Simon is a separate, much stronger hurricane off Mexico’s central Pacific coast, near Colima and Jalisco.
Sources: NHC advisory 56A; NHC discussion 56; ZETA (Tijuana River); ZETA (Ensenada); ZETA (Rosarito); ZETA (Red Cross); ZETA (shelters).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief