Hurricane Rachel delivered an unprecedented display of coastal destruction to Southern California, leaving the streets of Laguna Beach completely submerged under churning storm surge and hurricane-fueled ocean swells.
BEEFS TC (aka Chris Monroe) was on the ground documenting the jaw-dropping chaos as massive 15-to-20-foot backwash waves breached seawalls, swept over sand dunes, and tore directly through downtown streets, swallowing cars and flooding local businesses.
Check out the footage below:
“The ocean is literally in the city right now,” Monroe reported as surging whitewash surged past coastal landmarks. “I’ve never seen water push this far up into Laguna in my life.”
Official breaking-wave heights were smaller than some of the spectacular backwash seen in videos. Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond reported 5-to-7-foot surf, while the National Weather Service forecast 5-to-7-foot waves with local sets to 9 feet, paired with tides exceeding seven feet and significant coastal flooding and erosion.
The catastrophic event was driven by a rare alignment of atmospheric and oceanographic extremes.
Here’s another clip of massive waves hitting Aliso Beach, linked here, and below:
While Hurricane Rachel’s unusual northward trajectory pushed massive, long-period tropical swells directly into south-facing beaches, the historic Super El Niño season and an incoming planetary-scale Kelvin wave significantly raised baseline sea levels across the Pacific.
By “raising the floor” of the ocean by nearly a foot, the Kelvin wave amplified every incoming set, allowing monster waves to ride over protective berms and inundate low-lying urban areas.
The City of Laguna Beach issued urgent public safety advisories as emergency crews scrambled to clear debris and pump out flooded neighborhoods.
See footage of Laguna Beach’s downtown flooded, linked here, and below:
“The combination of high tides, historic surf, and tropical storm surge has created hazardous coastal conditions,” the city stated in an emergency alert. “Residents and visitors are strongly advised to avoid all coastal zones and low-lying roadways until floodwaters recede.”
NOAA says El Niño continues strengthening, with an 83% chance of reaching historic strength during October-December and strong-to-very strong conditions likely through early 2027.
With El Niño conditions locked in and additional Kelvin waves projected to pulse up the West Coast throughout the winter, meteorologists warn that Southern California’s battering is far from over.
Beachgoers and homeowners along the coast must prepare for a relentlessly active winter surf season defined by elevated baselines, severe beach erosion, and recurrent coastal inundation.
Stay safe out there.
Related: Watch: 25-Foot Backwash Explodes as Hurricane Rachel Swell Floods Orange County
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