Atmospheric river storm triggers flash flooding in San Diego as record rain slams Southern California
San Diego's fire department reported 24 water rescues from cars while more than 70 roads were still either fully or partially covered by floodwaters early Tuesday morning. One death was blamed on the storm.
State of Emergency for San Diego after storm
Monday, San Diego experienced its fourth-wettest day for the city in recordkeeping. After an official downtown measurement of 2.73 inches of rain, the county is now under a State of Emergency to aid in cleanup and repair.
SAN DIEGO – An atmospheric river storm slammed California Sunday and Monday, dropping several inches of rain in the state and leading to flash flooding across San Diego. San Diego is currency under a State of Emergency.
San Diego neighbors help each other through floodwater. (FOX Weather)
Floodwater ran off quickly and overwhelmed low-lying areas, causing creeks and rivers to rise quickly. With the higher snow levels, rain falling on fresh snow from last week also exacerbated inland flooding concerns.
San Diego's mayor declared a state of emergency on Monday as record rainfall pummeled the city. Widespread flash flooding reports came in across the city and county.
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San Diego's fire department reported 24 water rescues from cars and hundreds from homes, with even more rescues in surrounding areas.
San Diego's city website showed more than 70 roads were still either fully or partially covered by floodwaters early Tuesday morning, with others blocked by mudslides. Downtown trolley service was suspended Monday as floodwaters covered tracks.
One traffic death was blamed on the storm. A car lost control on Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore Monday morning and rolled over, killing the driver. Weather and speed were factors in the crash, California Highway Patrol spokesperson Keith Ballantyne told FOX Weather.
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Woman watches her car wash away in San Diego
Floodwater quickly washed a woman's car down the road in San Diego.
Record January rainfall for San Diego
The National Weather Service reported that areas of San Diego received 2-3 inches of rain in just hours on Monday, with 4-5 inches falling in the surrounding mountains.
San Diego's airport received 2.73 inches Monday, its wettest January day on record and the fourth-wettest day overall. The city doesn't even average 2 inches for the entire month of January.
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In Coronado, city officials said their regional sewer distribution system experienced issues during the storm and asked residents to reduce use of their drains into Tuesday to help the sewer system catch up. "It includes running sinks, showers and faucets or doing the laundry," city officials said.
Roads turned to rivers in San Diego
National Avenue was overtaken by floodwater Monday after heavy rain in San Diego. Cars, scattered by the water are deposited against fences and buildings.
Even San Diego's sprawling Navy base suffered flooding in multiple areas.
"Recommend only essential personnel enter the base and all others avoid the base until further notice," Naval Base San Diego officials posted on X. "Personnel on base, please stay in place until flooding levels subside."
The Golden State has also been experiencing shallow landslides and rockslides. Crews had to blow up boulders that fell across one California highway.
Heavy rain didn't spare Northern California either, where rainfall totals reached as high as 7 inches in the San Francisco Bay Area since Friday. Gusty winds also created issues, with one large tree toppling over cars in San Mateo.
Trees like this one in San Mateo, California, have been falling onto roadways. (City of San Mateo / FOX Weather)
Despite the warmer storm, heavy snow still fell in the higher Sierra Nevada, with some snow totals climbing over a foot. The central Sierra Nevada Mountains, including the Lake Tahoe area, was under an Avalanche Watch through Tuesday morning.
An Avalanche Watch has been issued for the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, including the Lake Tahoe area. (FOX Weather)
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Tuesday will be relatively drier for the Golden State, with occasional showers. Another atmospheric river approaches the Pacific coast late Tuesday, with the worst impacts across the Pacific Northwest and extreme Northern California.
San Francisco will have a rainy morning commute on Wednesday when the next round comes through, but Southern California will be spared. The state should get a dry breather through the weekend.