Southern California is bracing for its third storm in six weeks.

Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to close in on the region on Sunday, Oct. 11, bringing possible heavy rain, strong winds, high tides and flooding, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Long Beach has been hit hard. On Friday, punishing waves battered the city's Peninsula neighborhood, damaging a protective bulkhead, flooding homes and streets and forcing evacuations. Thirteen homes in eight buildings were red-tagged as unsafe.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson called the damage from Rachel and two earlier hurricanes since Labor Day weekend "unprecedented." "This is a sobering reminder of the power of nature and, most importantly, it's a reminder of the importance of staying prepared," he said.

The city has sped up repairs and deployed large sandbags, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported. Waves have already breached seawalls and washed away protective sand berms. Forecasters warned of tides up to 8 feet, and a second low-pressure system is moving in behind the storm.

City officials said more than 10,000 sandbags were handed out ahead of Rachel, and about 17,000 across the three storms. They urged residents to sign up for the city's emergency alert system and to stay away from the Peninsula so crews can work.

Tropical storms rarely reach Southern California, because the ocean there is usually too cool. Officials also warned residents to prepare for the coming El Niño season, which can bring more storms.

Residents along the coast were told to watch for flooding and avoid beaches during high surf.

What we know: Long Beach is preparing for flooding and high tides from Rachel.
What we don't: how strong Rachel will be when it reaches the coast.