San Diego storm was unprecedented
City gets most rain on January day in history
SAN DIEGO — Stunned residents, some breaking down in tears, pulled soggy and muddy furniture from their homes in San Diego on Tuesday, a day after flash floods from a torrential storm produced the city’s fourth-wettest day in nearly 175 years, an inundation in stark contrast to its image as a balmy seaside paradise.
An astonishing 2.73 inches of rain fell Monday in the Pacific coast city, which normally gets about 2 inches in January. It was the city’s rainiest day ever in January, records dating to 1850 show.
“Nothing is salvageable,” said Deanna Samayoa, who spent Tuesday morning hugging and crying with neighbors outside their homes.
Vehicles were swept away as people fled amid the torrents coursing through their Shelltown neighborhood. Samayoa’s son waded through water up to his neck as he carried a toddler to safety, she said.
“It was horrible,” she said. “Help did not arrive soon enough.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for San Diego County and Ventura County, which was hit by heavy rains and high surf that caused flooding. “I find that local authority is inadequate to cope with the magnitude of the damage caused by these winter storms,” he said.
The rain fell quickly in San Diego on Monday morning, submerging streets and freeways, halting traffic, buses and trolleys, and catching many people off guard. Rainfall forecasts had predicted 1 inch on the coast and double that in the mountains.
“The water rose in an hour up to our necks,” said Anna Ramirez. “I had to pull a lady out of the water and she didn’t know how to swim. She was crying for her life. It was very scary, very traumatizing.”
Hundreds were rescued from homes, a city of San Diego statement. said. Firefighters and lifeguards rescued about two dozen people from the San Diego and Tijuana rivers, the fire department said. Two homeless shelters were also evacuated.
The Red Cross set up an emergency shelter for those displaced.
A rough calculation shows that more than 150 billion gallons of water fell on San Diego County over three days, most during a three- to six-hour period, Ryan Maue, former chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said in an email to The Associated Press. He said the city’s drainage canals and infrastructure aren’t able to handle such a deluge.
City workers were sent out in advance to clear storm drains and monitor pump stations, but many stations reached capacity during the storm and were overwhelmed, the city statement said.
“Monday’s record rainfall revealed the fragile state of the City’s stormwater infrastructure and the need for significant investments going forward to prevent the current situation from becoming the new normal for San Diego,” it said.
A new storm system is expected to move in late Wednesday into Thursday.