Flood Watch Issued for Portions of Southwest California
The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Flood Watch for multiple areas in Southwest California due to the threat of excessive rainfall from Tropical Storm Rachel.
The Flood Watch remains in effect from Saturday evening through Sunday evening, ending October 11 at 8:00 PM PDT. Affected locations include San Diego County Coastal Areas, San Diego County Inland Valleys, San Bernardino County Mountains, Riverside County Mountains, San Diego County Mountains, Apple and Lucerne Valleys, Coachella Valley, San Diego County Deserts, and the San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning.
According to the National Weather Service, flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to bring periods of moderate to heavy rain to all of San Diego County, Riverside County mountains and deserts, and San Bernardino County mountains and deserts. Maximum hourly rainfall rates of 0.50 to 0.60 inches per hour are possible for the San Diego Coast and Valleys, while rates of 0.50 to 0.70 inches per hour are possible across area deserts. Rates of 0.70 to 1 inch per hour are possible across area mountains, with the heaviest rainfall most likely occurring late Saturday night through Sunday afternoon.