The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel slammed into Mexico's Baja California, southern California and Las Vegas over the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction even as meteorologists noted the system weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it approached California.
Footage showed massive waves crashing into Long Beach homes, destroying a boardwalk and forcing residents to flee. Damage has left some homes at risk of collapse, and at least nine have been deemed unsafe to enter, meaning displaced residents cannot return to retrieve personal items, according to the Long Beach Post. The storm has cost the city more than $1 million from its emergency reserves, the outlet reported.
Further south, Newport Beach declared a local emergency and briefly closed piers to "protect public safety," citing "higher-than-normal surf" that inundated streets. By Monday, cleanup work was under way and the piers had reopened, though officials advised residents to exercise caution near the water.
In Las Vegas, a raging torrent of water rushed over a street near the strip, and the city tied an all-time daily rainfall record for the date.