By Macy Meinhardt, Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
Reported to be the fourth wettest day in San Diego since 1850, a destructive Winter storm brought historic rainfall and damage to San Diego, particularly within the southeastern communities.
Muddled vehicles, litter, debris, clothing, and miscellaneous items scattered the mud soaked streets as residents came out to assess the damage and begin clean up efforts.
The rain came in on Monday Morning and sustained throughout the rest of the day. Notable damage to vehicles, powerlines, and roadways came within a three hour window when a flash flood warning was issued. In this brief timeframe, a reported three inches of rain pounded neighborhoods and overfilled creeks —exceeding the region’s average monthly precipitation by one inch.
One resident who lives in Encanto off of Imperial Ave, says she was cooking breakfast when the rain started, and then in an instant the road outside her home turned into a river.
As people fled, vehicles were swept away by torrents near drainage canals and overflowing creeks such as Chollas Creek. The city reports that hundreds of people were rescued from their homes and flooded areas in the communities of Mountain View and Southcrest.
Amid the numerous calls for aid, around 5 P.M. Monday Mayor Todd Gloria called for a local state of emergency.
Upon surveying damage, V&V spoke with the Hernandez family, who resided in a complex near Chollas Creek, and has now become displaced.
Whilst throwing out water soaked belongings in a dumpster and tearing up floorboards, Luis recalls the morning just started out with regular rain, until he looked outside and saw his car floating down the street from the overflow on Chollas Creek.
Hernandez believes that in this neighborhood, this was doomed to happen, telling V&V that the creek had not been well maintained beforehand.
Meanwhile, in Encanto another resident, who prefers to go by LH, also believes this could have been preventable, if the city had paid more attention to the roads in District 4.
Moreso, according to the City’s Stormwater Department, widespread flooding that occurred across the city is what occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms an aging stormwater system with limited capacity.
Meanwhile, as affected residents begin to pick up the pieces from this historic weather event, many community members and charity organizations in District Four came together Tuesday morning in unity to share resources and volunteer for help.
Storm drainage overflow in Encanto. PHOTO: Macy Meinhardt/ Voice & Viewpoint
The resources compiled by community groups are as follows:
- To check the status of power outages in your area, visit SDG&E’s Power Outage page: click here
- To submit property damages to San Diego County for State and Federal Assistance: click here
- To connect with City of San Diego District 4 Rep: 619.236.6644
- Emergency Shelters for Displaced residents:
The Red Cross has opened an overnight emergency shelter at Lincoln High School for residents impacted by flooding and storm damage. Pets are allowed: 4777 Imperial Ave.
Moreso, for residents seeking insurance claims on property damages, here is information shared by the Southern California Rental Housing Association:
- Property owners should work with their insurance provider if there was damage to their building or property. A key question to ask yourself: Do you have flood insurance, or might you need it going forward?
- Those with damage to their vehicles should contact their auto insurance provider.
- If you have renters, they may have damages to their personal property. They should consult with their renters insurance provider. The property owner’s insurance will repair the structure but not replace a resident’s personal property. This could be a good time to remind renters why renters insurance is so important. (Pro tip: Make sure your leases are compliant with state law and have the proper flood disclosures.)
