Do not return to a flooded house until officials say it is safe. When you do go back, do not enter standing water, do not touch wet electrical equipment and do not turn power back on yourself. A qualified electrician should inspect the system first.
Key takeaways
- Do not return to a flooded house until officials say it is safe. CDC says not to reenter a damaged home until a building inspector has examined it.
- If you can reach the main power switch from a dry spot, shut power off. If you would have to enter standing water, call an electrician.
- Time guidance, not a statistic: CDC says to air out a home that has been closed for days for at least 30 minutes before staying.
- Do not turn power back on yourself. ESFI says to keep it off until an electrician has inspected the system.
- Check your county or city alert page for closures: AlertSanDiego, Alert RivCo or Clark County.
Last checked: October 13, 2026, 3:40 AM PDT. Alerts, closures and outage maps change quickly, so use the live links in this guide before you act.
Step one: confirm you are allowed back
Tropical Storm Rachel, later described as a post-tropical system, brought heavy rain, coastal flooding and high surf to parts of Southern California between about October 9 and 12, 2026, and its remnant moisture reached Las Vegas. San Diego County’s alert page listed Tropical Cyclone Rachel on October 9, and the City of Newport Beach declared a local emergency for it. Impacts were not the same everywhere. No single region-wide restriction appeared in the sources checked. Reported closures were specific: Newport Beach closed piers, some beaches and flooded streets on the Balboa Peninsula. Coronado police closed the Five Points intersection over the weekend of October 10 and 11. Las Vegas reported lane blockages at Winnick Avenue and Koval Lane on October 11 and 12. Confirm what applies to your street.
- San Diego County: AlertSanDiego and Genasys Protect show evacuation zones. For local help, dial 211.
- Riverside County: sign up for Alert RivCo, read active events or call (951) 358-7100.
- Newport Beach and Long Beach: Newport Beach updates and Alert Long Beach.
- Las Vegas: Clark County emergency response, Regional Flood Control District and Nevada 511.
Step two: getting there
Floodwater hides damage and debris. FEMA advises against driving through floodwater and says even shallow moving water can knock you down. Avoid driving unless necessary, and watch for downed lines (Ready.gov floods).
“NEVER turn power on or off yourself or use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water.”
Step three: check the building from outside
CDC says not to re-enter a damaged home until a building inspector has examined it. Enter in daylight with battery flashlights, not candles or open flames. If the home has been closed for days, open doors and windows and air it out for at least 30 minutes before staying. If you smell gas, do not turn on lights or anything that can spark. Leave and contact the gas company, fire department or police from outside.
Step four: electrical precautions inside
- Never turn power on or off, or use electric tools or appliances, while standing in water.
- If you can reach the main switch from a dry spot, shut power off. If reaching it means entering water, call an electrician.
- Do not touch a breaker or fuse with wet hands or on a wet surface.
- Do not plug in fans, heaters or lamps to dry the space.
- Never run a generator or gasoline-powered tool indoors, in a garage or on a porch. Keep it at least 20 feet from doors and windows.
- Do not connect a generator to household wiring unless an approved transfer device was professionally installed.
How are flood-exposed wiring, panels and outlets assessed?
Dry equipment is not proof of safety. ESFI and CDC both note that floodwater can leave contamination and hidden damage.
- Photograph the damage from a safe spot.
- Leave the panel, outlets, switches and appliances unused. Do not open or dry a wet panel yourself.
- Ask a qualified electrician to inspect the system before power is restored.
- Expect equipment to be sorted into replace and recondition. ESFI lists receptacles, switches, outlet boxes and molded-case breakers as typically replaced.
- Ask your building department whether an inspection is required before reconnection.
Assume mold if the property stayed damp for days. CDC recommends drying quickly and having the HVAC system inspected by a professional before use. Floodwater may carry sewage, so follow local guidance on tap water and throw away food that touched it. Children should not take part in cleanup.
Numbers to have on hand
- Emergency: fallen lines, fire, shock injury, carbon monoxide symptoms: 911
- Southern California Edison: outages and public safety hazards: 1-800-611-1911
- SDG&E: downed power lines (after 911) and outages: 1-800-411-7343
- Riverside County Emergency Management: (951) 358-7100
- 211 San Diego: local help and shelter information: 211
- Local Trusted Electricians electrical assistance line (24/7 call center): (213) 322-0128
Official resources for updates
Visit these pages for live alerts, closures and outage maps.
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard (Los Angeles, Orange County, Long Beach)https://www.weather.gov/lox/Live watches, warnings and advisories for the Los Angeles area.
- NWS San Diego (San Diego, parts of Orange and Riverside counties)https://www.weather.gov/sgx/Live alerts and forecasts for San Diego and nearby inland areas.
- NWS Las Vegashttps://www.weather.gov/vef/Live alerts and forecasts for Las Vegas and Clark County.
- Genasys Protect (San Diego County evacuation zones)https://protect.genasys.com/Evacuation zones and live evacuation orders.
- AlertSanDiego (County of San Diego)https://www.alertsandiego.org/Regional emergency updates, including the County’s Tropical Cyclone Rachel notice.
- Alert RivCo (Riverside County Emergency Management)https://emd.rivco.gov/alert-rivcoSign up for county emergency alerts.
- Riverside County active eventshttps://emd.rivco.gov/active-eventsCurrent county emergency events and advisories.
- City of Newport Beach: coastal flood updatehttps://www.newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/44934/2720Closures, sand berm requests and sandbag locations. The page is undated, so confirm it is still current.
- Alert Long Beach (City of Long Beach)https://www.longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness/alert-long-beach/Explains the city’s emergency alert system. Sign-up is at https://accountportal.onsolve.net/alertlb
- Clark County Public Works: emergency responsehttps://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/public_works_department/emergency_response.phpCounty flood and road closure information.
- Regional Flood Control District (Las Vegas Valley)https://www.regionalflood.org/Flood information for Clark County.
- Nevada 511 (NDOT road conditions)https://www.nvroads.com/Road closures and conditions across Nevada.
- CDC: Reentering Your Flooded Homehttps://www.cdc.gov/floods/safety/reentering-your-flooded-home-safety.htmlReturning to a flooded home safely.
- ESFI: Flood Electrical Safetyhttps://www.esfi.org/flood-electrical-safety-high-water-high-stakes/Electrical safety before and after flooding.
- Ready.gov: Floodshttps://www.ready.gov/floodsFEMA flood safety, including floodwater and power line hazards.
- Southern California Edison: report an outage or safety issuehttps://www.sce.com/outages-safety/report-outage-safety-issueReporting outages and hazards. SCE lists 1-800-611-1911 for outages and public safety hazards.
- SDG&E: power outage safetyhttps://www.sdge.com/safety/power-outage-safetyDowned line reporting and outage steps.
- ESFI: Water-Damaged Electrical Equipmenthttps://www.esfi.org/water-damaged-electrical-equipment/Which flooded equipment is typically replaced or reconditioned.
News reports and other sources cited
- KPBS: San Diego storm clears out, high surf and coastal flood warnings linger (October 12, 2026)https://www.kpbs.org/news/living/2026/10/12/san-diego-storm-clears-out-high-surf-and-coastal-flood-warnings-lingerNews report used for San Diego conditions, the coastal flood advisory and weekend impacts.
- News3LV: flash flooding near the Las Vegas Strip (October 11 to 12, 2026)https://news3lv.com/news/local/flash-flooding-sends-water-rushing-through-streets-near-las-vegas-strip-rain-storms-hurricane-tropical-storm-rachel-linq-promenadeNews report used for Las Vegas street flooding and road blockages.
- AlertSanDiego: Tropical Cyclone Rachel noticehttps://www.alertsandiego.org/en-us/incident-page.1567.htmlCounty of San Diego incident page for the storm.
- City of Newport Beach: local emergency declared for Tropical Storm Rachel (October 9, 2026)https://www.newportbeachca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/44930/2720City announcement of the local emergency.
Need an electrician for storm damage?
Local Trusted Electricians’s call center is open 24/7 at (213) 322-0128. Our electricians are available specifically for storm-related electrical problems during this critical period. In the areas we serve, we aim to reach customers within minutes to a few hours, depending on your location and how many calls are ahead of yours. You can also use our contact page. This is our electrical assistance line. For fallen power lines, fire, shock injuries or carbon monoxide symptoms, call 911 first.
