Tropical Storm Rachel is quickly moving northeast toward Baja California, Mexico, where it’s likely to make landfall late tonight. It’s producing winds up to 60 mph, which are expected to weaken as it travels inland.
The storm could reach San Diego and Orange County, California, tonight or early tomorrow, according to the National Hurricane Center. It could also bring showers and strong, gusty winds to parts of the Southwest this weekend.
In Southern California, the city of Long Beach has issued a mandatory evacuation order for some homes through Tuesday. Some properties have already sustained damage due to coastal flooding from heavy waves, the city said yesterday. Newport Beach also declared a local emergency yesterday to free up resources ahead of the storm’s landfall, after experiencing significant coastal flooding overnight.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon has been rapidly intensifying as it heads toward Mexico’s Pacific coast. As of this morning, its winds had reached 150 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane.
Simon is expected to make landfall early tomorrow, bringing heavy rain, destructive waves and potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center. Manzanillo, a major port city in Mexico, rushed to close beaches yesterday in preparation.
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