California deploys mud‑flow and firefighting teams to San Bernardino and Mono counties

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said it deployed mud and debris‑flow resources to San Bernardino County and firefighting assets to Mono County ahead of Tropical Storm Rachel; the agency posted the update at 4:00 PM on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.

Cal OES provided deployment details: for San Bernardino County, resources are staged from 8 AM Saturday, Oct. 11 to 8 AM Monday, Oct. 13 and include 2 fire engines, 1 hand crew, 1 swift water rescue team and 35 firefighters, dispatchers and support personnel. For Mono County, resources are staged from 8 AM Saturday, Oct. 10 to 8 AM Sunday, Oct. 11 and include 4 fire engines, 1 water tender and 15 firefighters.

Cal OES said Rachel was expected to make landfall across far southern California Saturday night into early Sunday morning; the storm was moving quickly and was forecast to exit the area by Sunday morning.

The agency warned of coastal storm surge, larger swells, life‑threatening surf and rip currents across southern California beaches; gusty winds, widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected Saturday through early Monday, and urban and flash flooding is possible where rainfall is excessive.

Cal OES said deploying resources ahead of anticipated impacts allows state teams to support local responders and handle small incidents before they grow; local officials will direct staging locations and response assignments.

Practical steps Cal OES urged residents to take include signing up for local emergency alerts, checking whether your home or workplace is in a flood‑prone area or downslope from recent wildfire burn scars, staying tuned to forecasts and local instructions, preparing an evacuation plan and emergency kit that includes medications and pet supplies, and never driving through floodwater.

For the latest forecast and warnings, Cal OES directed readers to weather.gov.

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