Off Market Street in Valencia Park, there is a storm drain that serves as a resting place for full grown trees, shrubs and a white deep freezer. Let me say that again; trees, tall, rooted, and thriving are growing in a storm drain designed to ensure that rainwater and runoff pollution are safely diverted away from our communities.
Every time I pass the area, I am reminded of January 22, 2024, the day much of District 4 flooded. I think about the parents who waded through water to bring their children to safety, elders whose homes were swallowed by mud, and the cars that were swept down streets and abandoned. And as I have reflected on this unfortunate event, I’ve come to realize, what turned heavy rain into a human crisis wasn’t just extreme weather, it was neglect. Deliberate, decades-long abandonment of the aging infrastructure within the neighborhoods of the Fourth District. An area that had been labeled a “Community of Concern” by city officials. City officials who weren’t concerned enough to address years of backlogged maintenance on our aging infrastructure, including our storm drains. On January 22, 2024, because of physical obstructions, the rainwater from the Chollas Creek storm drain, unable to flow at its optimal pace, rushed over its banks onto our streets. In other words, the vegetation and debris left to accumulate in the storm drains caused the waters to overflow the creek banks and flood our streets, homes, churches, schools and businesses. The Orange Line was shut down for months because much of the track had been washed away as floodwaters surged down Woodman Street from Skyline and crossed over Imperial Ave. Some families lost everything; our neighborhoods never stood a chance.
But the storm alone can not shoulder all the blame. We, as a community, must question why our storm drainage system has been allowed to languish in disrepair. Even after being designated a “Community of Concern”, the maintenance of our infrastructure has not been addressed. Our phone calls and “Get-It-Done submissions haven’t prompted any action. Our storm drains remain severely neglected, overrun with unimpeded wildlife, vegetation and unwanted belongings. And we are left to fend for ourselves, anticipating the next torrential rainstorm with no help from the city that religiously collects and raises our taxes.
No, our disaster didn’t begin in January 2022. It began the moment this city (our representatives) decided we were unworthy. Not worth the cost of investment, or worthy of the time needed to create housing that elevates a community, along with infrastructure to support it. When our drains were neglected and left to choke with vegetation, it set in motion the inevitable drowning of our communities and all the loss, heartbreak, and financial ruin that followed. This is more than a failure of infrastructure. This is a failure of leadership. This is not just poor planning; it is the result of institutional neglect. It is the legacy of redlining, of disinvestment, and of structural racism.
This is what environmental racism looks like. This is the legacy of political neglect. And this is exactly why I’m running to represent the Fourth District of San Diego.
My name is Martha Abraham.
I’m a nurse, a neighbor, and a proud daughter of this community, and I am running for San Diego City Council because the cycle of abandonment must end.
This campaign is not about politics. It’s about people and accountability. It’s about community and fighting for policies that elevate and protect lives. It’s about making sure our neighborhoods are not placed first in line for risk and last in line for care. It’s about looking our children in the eyes and saying, “You matter. Your home matters. Your future matters.” This is about justice and representation.
If you’re tired of being forgotten, disregarded, and dismissed, I’m asking you to stand with me. Not because change is easy, but because it’s necessary. Because no one is coming to save us. We have to save each other. We don’t have time to wait for the next flood. Because the reality is, it’s already flooding.