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full screen High waves crashed into La Jolla earlier this week during the heavy downpours. – I believe that local governments are not equipped to cope with the magnitude of damage caused by these winter storms, says California Governor Gavin Newsom. Photo: Denis Poroy/AP
In San Diego, California, the tsunami warning sounded.
Then came the torrents.
– It has never been this serious, says San Diego resident Eddie Ochoa to The Guardian.
California was hit by heavy downpours and storms earlier this week, but San Diego’s aging sewer system can’t handle the rain. Something that has not been a secret, it requires millions of dollars in maintenance, writes The San Diego Union-Tribune.
But city officials stress that very little could have stopped the saturated catchment and surrounding areas from what they call a millennium event.
– Even a storm drain, designed according to today’s golden standard, would have failed in a situation like this, says Kris McFadden, with responsibility for storm water, transport and municipal companies.
– I know it doesn’t save the residents’ memories, but it serves as a benchmark for us to reach. We know we need to do more and we are doing it.
Floated in waist deep water
A state of emergency has been declared in the area and hundreds of homeless people were without places to sleep when the water poured into the shelters.
Residents described the horror of being forced to flee the Alpha Project’s Bridge Shelter, which quickly filled with waist-deep water, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
According to the National Weather Service, nearly eight inches of rain fell over San Diego, just to the south, in National City nearly eleven inches of rain fell.
Normally, around five centimeters of rain fall in the area per month during the winter.
70 streets were badly affected by the floods – now full cleaning is being done to remove mud and debris.
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full screenSan Diego FloodingHomeowner Maria Ramirez walks through her flood damaged home Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy) CADP101 Photo: Denis Poroy / AP
Police rescued residents after water entered their homes in Spring Valley and Casa de Oro. Others were forced to wade through waist-deep water to safety with their pets in their arms.
San Diego resident Eddie Ochoa said it was drizzling a bit when he and his sister went out for breakfast Monday. When they were going back to the family car repair shop, the whole block was flooded and the sister’s car had been swept away in the torrent.
– Everything happened within an hour. It has never been this serious. It’s crazy, he says.
Later they found the sister’s car stranded half a mile from the workshop.
More areas will be affected
The San Diego and Tijuana rivers overflowed and at least 24 people were rescued in the ensuing flash floods.
San Diego’s website states that rainfall will vary more from year to year due to climate change – and it will swing wildly between droughts and floods. Some areas of San Diego already flood as soon as it rains. As the downpours will be stronger in the future, there will be more affected areas, writes the municipality.
In the next week, more storms threaten the area.
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