Another powerful storm arrived in Southern California with at least three straight days of rain in the forecast for San Diego County, and authorities warning of potentially dangerous flooding Monday.
Additional swift-water rescue teams and assistance from the U.S. National Guard will be on tap when the next big storm arrives Thursday, officials said Tuesday, even as many worked to recover from the flash flood that upended so many lives just eight days ago.
The San Diego River is prone to flooding, especially during conditions like Thursday’s expected storm. Hundreds of unhoused people living along the riverbed are especially vulnerable to rising waters. It was a race against time on Wednesday to ensure everybody knows it.
National Weather Service offices and other reputable meteorologists in California have been doing rumor control about the coming stormy period. Chatter on social media from unreliable sources had implied that the entire state will soon be underwater.
A cold Pacific storm will drop 2 to 2.5 inches of rain across much of San Diego County from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon, possibly causing heavy runoff in a region still recovering from last week’s damaging, storm-induced flooding, the National Weather Service said.
Southern California may have just experienced a historic amount of rainfall, but more extreme precipitation is headed toward the region. More than a month’s worth of rain fell in a span of three hours in San Diego on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
An unusual torrent of rain and flash flooding hit the San Diego area on Monday, shutting down highways, swamping roads and leaving some residents to watch helplessly as water swept away their cars or wreaked havoc on their homes.
Hundreds of people had to be rescued Monday as historic rain hit San Diego, causing significant flooding that closed major roadways, shut down bus lines, cut power and sent scores of residents scrambling for higher ground.
Despite a spate of recent storms, scientists say California needs more winterlike weather to bolster its water supply and avoid another drought.
Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, stands at 113% of the historical average and only 52 feet from being full, thanks to the gift of rain the state is receiving so far this winter.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
