Photos: Southern California high tides, tropical threat trigger flood

Structures were damaged and roads were overwhelmed with floodwaters. See the wildest images.

3 hours ago

Updated: October 10, 2026, 10:15 am EDTPublished: October 10, 2026, 8:33 am EDT

Large ocean waves crash against beachfront houses, splashing water onto the buildings' lower floors — This aerial photo shows waves battering beachfront houses in Long Beach, California, on Oct. 9, 2026.
(David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)

The floods came for the most expensive ZIP code in America on Friday.

High-tide flooding, enhanced by Tropical Storm Rachel looming hundreds of miles offshore, overwhelmed streets and structures in Newport Beach, California, and surrounding areas. And although Rachel is expected to weaken further prior to a possible landfall, parts of Southern California to the south of Newport Beach were under a rare tropical storm watch.

Below, you can see more photos of Friday's flooding, and click here for the full forecast on Tropical Storm Rachel and Hurricane Simon, which is threatening Mexico's western coast.

Aerial view of vehicles driving through a flooded residential street lined with palm trees near a coastal marina — Cars make their way along W. Balboa Blvd. after sea water flooded city streets in Newport Beach on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
(Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Large ocean wave crashes against beachfront houses, spraying high above the rooftops — In an aerial view, a Pacific Ocean wave crashes into a seawall amid powerful surf on Oct. 9, 2026 in Long Beach, California.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Shirtless boy surfing on a flooded residential street past a covered truck and onlookers — A skimboarder catches a ride from flooding near the Balboa Peninsula bike path along W. Oceanfront in Newport Beach on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
(Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Flooded palm-lined street with submerged road, car partially underwater, and pedestrians wading through standing floodwater — In an aerial view, people walk near coastal floodwaters amid strong waves and high tides generated by Tropical Storm Rachel on Oct. 9, 2026, in Newport Beach, California.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Man in blue shirt watches large ocean wave crash against seawall near coastal buildings — A worker stands nearby as a Pacific Ocean wave crashes over a seawall next to a home damaged by powerful surf on Oct. 9, 2026 in Long Beach, California.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

People shoveling mud from a flooded residential street lined with houses and palm trees after a storm — A woman shovels sand brought by the storm surge onto a street in Long Beach, California, on Oct. 9, 2026.
(David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)

Large ocean wave crashes against oceanfront homes as two people watch from a window above — In an aerial view, people watch from a home as a Pacific Ocean wave crashes into a seawall amid powerful surf on Oct. 9, 2026, in Long Beach, California.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Yellow dump truck hauling sand along a wooden boardwalk beside beachfront buildings with sandbags stacked near the entrance — A truck moves sand to shore up the beach along the boardwalk on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Long Beach, California.
(Scott Strazzante/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Man holding a sign reading "Waves are flooding our street, please turn" while standing in a flooded residential street with submerged cars and palm trees — A man holds a sign in coastal floodwaters on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Newport Beach, California.
(AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Two people kayaking past a partially submerged black SUV on a flooded residential street — Two women kayak in coastal floodwaters on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Newport Beach, California.
(AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Man wades barefoot through flooded street carrying two suitcases near a gray house with palm trees — Greg Wallace walks out of his rental in coastal floodwaters on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Newport Beach, California.
(AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

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