NWS Issues Flood Watch for Portions of Southwest California
The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a Flood Watch for parts of Southwest California from Saturday night through Sunday evening due to incoming rainfall from Tropical Storm Rachel.
The Flood Watch remains in effect from 11:00 PM PDT Saturday through 8:00 PM PDT Sunday. Affected locations include San Diego County Coastal Areas, San Diego County Inland Valleys, San Diego County Mountains, San Diego County Deserts, the Coachella Valley, Apple and Lucerne Valleys, Riverside County Mountains, San Bernardino County Mountains, and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.
Tropical Storm Rachel is forecast to bring periods of moderate to heavy rainfall across all of San Diego County, as well as the mountains and deserts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The heaviest rain is anticipated from late Saturday night through early Sunday afternoon. Rainfall is expected to taper off from south to north on Sunday, with lingering lighter showers continuing into Monday.
Peak hourly rainfall rates could reach 0.50 to 0.60 inches along the San Diego Coast and Valleys, 0.50 to 0.70 inches across local deserts, and 0.70 to 1 inch in mountain areas. Excessive runoff from these storms may cause flooding in rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying or flood-prone areas.