Record-Breaking Winter Storm Hits San Diego, Causing Severe Flooding

San Diego, California – Winter storms for relatively dry San Diego are hit-or-miss, but mostly miss, so the wallop of a Pacific front Monday stunned California’s second-largest city even as it was expecting rain.

It was the third of three Pacific storms to strike the West Coast since Friday, with the first bypassing the region and the second producing only about one-third of an inch of relatively warm rain. A city that walked it off was then bruised, which had been forecasted to be stronger.

It was the wettest January day on record in San Diego, according to the National Weather Service. Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency due to extreme rainfall and flash flooding. About 100 homes were affected by the flooding, prompting the use of a high school as a temporary shelter.

Tijuana and other parts of northern Baja California were also hit hard by the storm. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and San Diego Fire Department rescuers saved at least eight migrants who were endangered by the floodwaters of the Tijuana River Valley on the U.S. side.

The Southcrest neighborhood in San Diego had to be rescued by firefighters as standing water quickly surrounded their apartment complex. No injuries were reported.

Navy Base San Diego reported flooding in the late morning, which led to the closure of multiple streets and Interstate 15. Navy officials advised personnel on base to shelter in place.

Mayor Gloria urged residents and visitors to stay off roads, while neighboring schools declared classroom closures the following day. The Red Cross established a temporary shelter providing meals and mental health support.

The storm caused flooding in usual areas such as Mission Valley and Ocean Beach, where impassable roads turned into temporary rivers.

The storm’s impacts extended beyond San Diego County as well. State Route 78 in Oceanside was closed due to floodwaters, causing inconvenience to commuters.

Meteorologist Brandt Maxwell from the National Weather Service explained that the storm exhibited the characteristics of a classic El Niño event, with the long-tail jet stream and strong atmospheric river contributing to its intensity.

Despite the record-setting rainfall, San Diego’s overall precipitation this season remains slightly below average. To have an above-normal year of precipitation, the Southern California coast will need more storms like this.

Mayor Gloria, attending a conference of U.S. mayors in Washington, emphasized the importance of addressing climate change, as extreme weather events are becoming more common across the country.