Local brief
Tropical Storm Watch: San Diego County, CA — Tropical Storm Rachel could bring 39+ mph winds tonight into Sunday
The National Weather Service in San Diego has a Tropical Storm Watch for all of San Diego County as Tropical Storm Rachel heads for northern Baja California. A National Weather Service Coastal Flood Warning also covers the San Diego County coast until 3 p.m. PDT Oct. 11, 2026. Tie down patio items and charge your phone now.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Diego has a Tropical Storm Watch in effect for all of San Diego County. NWS first issued the watch at 7:59 a.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, and updated it at 8:02 a.m. PDT Saturday, Oct. 10. A watch means tropical-storm-force winds, 39 mph or stronger, are possible. It is not a warning yet. In its 8 a.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said those winds could reach the watch area tonight or early Sunday.
The storm is Tropical Storm Rachel. At 8 a.m. PDT Saturday, NHC placed its center about 520 miles south-southwest of San Diego (25.5 N, 119.6 W). Its top winds were near 60 mph, and it was moving northeast at 22 mph. NHC expects Rachel to near northern Baja California today and move onshore tonight. Its weakening, post-tropical leftovers should then cross the Southwest United States on Sunday. Mexico has a Tropical Storm Warning for the west coast of Baja California up to the U.S. border.
Where: the watch covers all four NWS zones in the county. That is the coast (Oceanside, Carlsbad, San Diego and Chula Vista), the inland valleys (Escondido, El Cajon, Lakeside and Poway), the mountains (Julian and Pine Valley) and the deserts (Borrego Springs). NHC's coastal watch runs from the U.S.-Mexico border north to the San Diego/Orange County line.
Wind: NWS says its latest local forecast is still below tropical-storm force. Peak forecasts: the coast 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph; the valleys 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph; the mountains 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph; the deserts 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Because the storm's path can still shift, NWS says to plan for winds of 39 to 57 mph. In its 2:40 a.m. statement, NWS said southern and eastern parts of the county are the most likely to see 39+ mph winds, and gusts up to 60 mph are possible on mountain ridges, passes and canyons. NWS expects "limited" damage: porches, awnings, carports, sheds and unanchored mobile homes; broken tree limbs; a few roads blocked by debris; and scattered power and phone outages. NWS says tornadoes are not expected.
Rain and ocean: a Flood Watch runs from 11 p.m. tonight through 8 p.m. Sunday. NWS's 2:40 a.m. statement forecast 0.5 to 1.25 inches of rain for the coast, valleys and deserts and 1 to 2.5 inches in the mountains, with flash and urban flooding possible. A Coastal Flood Warning for the San Diego County coast lasts until 3 p.m. PDT Sunday, with tides over 7 feet, big surf and beach erosion. Stay out of the water and do not plan beach trips.
What to do now: bring in or tie down patio furniture, umbrellas, trash cans and anything else the wind can throw. Charge your phone and a power bank, and find your flashlight. Never drive through a flooded road. If you live in a mobile home or near big trees, plan where you would go if the winds pick up. Follow NWS San Diego (https://www.weather.gov/sgx) and San Diego County Emergency (https://www.sdcountyemergency.com), and do what local officials tell you.
Updates: advisories change through the day. NHC's next intermediate advisory is at 11 a.m. PDT and its next full advisory is at 2 p.m. PDT. NHC's official track and cone for Rachel: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_ep3.shtml . NWS San Diego alerts: https://www.weather.gov/sgx . This brief reflects the 8:02 a.m. NWS watch update and the 8 a.m. NHC advisory.
Sources: National Weather Service San Diego Tropical Storm Watch (TCVSGX, https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.e802249bb9fd3adefe9daa8e50843a11cbb0ab78.001.1), NWS San Diego Tropical Cyclone Local Statement (HLSSGX, 2:40 a.m. PDT Oct. 10), NWS San Diego Coastal Flood Warning and Flood Watch, and NHC Tropical Storm Rachel Advisory 54 (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATCPEP3.shtml). Notice Nearby wrote this brief in its own words. More San Diego County notices: https://noticenearby.com/ca/san-diego · California hub: https://noticenearby.com/ca
Source: the public notice on this register NN-ENV-ca-san-diego-tropical-storm-watch-rachel- · National Weather Service San Diego CA Tropical Storm Watch (TCVSGX) · NHC Tropical Storm Rachel Advisory 54.
This is a Notice Nearby local brief — an in-house explainer written from a government-posted notice on this register. It is not official minutes, not a newspaper story, and not Legal Publication.