The atmospheric river that deluged San Diego last week followed close on the heels of enormous waves that punished the California coast at the beginning of the year, with both weather events setting off alarms in more ways than one.
San Diego markets itself as the land of endless warmth and sunshine. That seems like a goof as 2023 comes to an end. The city received only two hours of sunshine in the entire month of May. The temperature was below average for 11 straight months.
As federal and state lawmakers based in California continue to petition President Biden to declare a federal disaster in the wake of Tropical Storm Hilary, local assessments show Imperial County was among the hardest-hit areas in terms of property damage per capita.
Overall, Imperial County received some $9.3 million in property damage during the weekend storm in which 3.26 inches of rain fell on Aug. 19 and 20, but perhaps the most shocking statistic shared by Imperial County Fire Chief and Office of Emergency Services Coordinator David Lantzer was that Imperial County was the second-highest county in property damage per capita at $51.
“Those are pretty significant numbers. I’m actually a bit surprised, but not completely surprised,” Lantzer said during his department report at the Imperial City Council meeting of Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Residents in the Sweetwater River flood-plain asked to prepare in order to reduce possibility of damage to property
Chula Vista, Calif. – Due to expected heavy rainfall from tropical storm Hilary, Sweetwater Authority expects unplanned water releases, or spills, from Loveland Reservoir in Alpine, California may occur early next week. These potential unplanned water releases, together with expected abundant storm runoff, could cause flooding in areas downstream.
Recent conditions across California over the past 3-5 weeks have been pretty typical by mid-summer standards. It has been pretty hot across inland valleys and deserts, relatively cool (and even occasionally chilly) along the immediate coast, with a few instances of afternoon thunderstorms activity the interior mountains. There have not been any major heatwaves recently, which is likely a welcome development for many folks.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
Sweetwater Authority Logo 2019