Weird NewsVIRAL WATCH

Tropical Storm Rachel's surf drives out Long Beach residents

Rachel's surf pushed Long Beach residents from their homes and briefly closed Newport Beach beaches in California; the ocean did the evicting.

On air: Kenji Moonfield and Hank Ledger on Weekend Edition
Published 7:54 AM ET, Sunday, October 11, 2026
Updated 11:39 AM ET · aired 4 times

Photo: himefrias · Copyrighted free use · Wikimedia Commons

▶ As it aired · Weird News

Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield and Hank Ledger on this story, from Weekend Edition at 7:54 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Los Angeles Times's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Long Beach, California — Photo: himefrias · Copyrighted free use · Wikimedia Commons

Footage: CrescentBeachProd · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Watch the segment

Viral Video Breakdown“Viral Score, seven. One point off for the ocean sitting politely in the background the whole time.”Hank Ledger▶ Full · 0:44Tropical Storm Rachel footage: it's just lumberViral Video Breakdown · 7:54 AM ET

At a glance

First reported by Los Angeles Times: “Tropical Storm Rachel's surf drives out Long Beach residents, briefly shuts Newport Beach beaches”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 7:54 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Kenji Moonfield and Hank Ledger; aired 4 times.
Topics: Newport Beach, Long Beach, Tropical Storm Rachel.
BBN covered this story before: Rachel's surf drives out Long Beach residents, shuts Newport beaches (October 10).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Los Angeles TimesTropical Storm Rachel's surf drives out Long Beach residents, briefly shuts Newport Beach beaches

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTropical Storm Rachel's surf pushed residents out of Long Beach and briefly shut beaches in Newport Beach, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWe don't have the actual video from there. This is file footage, a stunt double boardwalk from the archive. Roll it.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentLook at this. Planks everywhere, torn right off the walkway. Apartments on the left just standing there like nothing happened.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorJust lumber.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWatch this section. Splintered, scattered, still going. And here's the wide shot. Total destruction.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorRun it back. The middle part. Only for the planks.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentYou care.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorViral Score, seven. One point off for the ocean sitting politely in the background the whole time.

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