California is taking a beating from an unusually destructive 2026 Pacific hurricane season

Tropical storms rarely survive in the cool water off California, but waves from storms far to the south can still damaged coastal areas. And flooding rain can sweep in.

By: Nicholas Grondin, University of Tampa, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 12, 2026

Words: 1,021

Last Updated: 4 days, 21 hours ago


Body Text Preview

By Nicholas Grondin, University of Tampa

California isn’t a place most Americans associate with tropical weather, but it’s taking a beating in 2026 from one of the most active eastern Pacific hurricane seasons in modern history.

For the second time ever, national forecasters issued a tropical storm watch for Southern California as Tropical Storm Rachel headed toward the region, bringing high tides, coastal flooding and drenching rain from Oct. 9-11. The first tropical storm watch …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Register for Free Log in