Flooding in San Diego

The rains may be dying down a little, but now is the time for cleanup in San Diego County after massive winter rains poured into the area. Communities across the county were flooded from the convergence of a winter storm from the Pacific and warm wet air from the south. It’s the heaviest storm this winter so far.

Over five inches of rain fell in a 72-hour period in Ramona. Some areas received over 9 inches. Crashes jumped from an average of 140 a day in the county to over 500. Boulders were washed out and palm trees toppled. There were many dramatic rescues. Even Petco Park got flooded out.

San Diego is in a desert which makes it prone to flash flooding. Desert soil cannot absorb water well, so it gets channeled through washes that can bring massive amounts of water to dry areas, sweeping all in its path. It’s not likely that a home will be inside of a wash, but if they get overloaded they can damage homes or sweep away a deck. City engineers may have channeled the worst of the damage, but there will be a lot of culverts to clean out. One eight-foot wide culvert was completely blocked with debris after it contained the flooding.

If you live in a flash flood area, you must evacuate immediately when the signal is given. There is little time to react when a flash flood is on the way. They are the most dangerous type of flooding to life and limb. Any property caught in the path will be destroyed. 

Yet there were plenty of places where normal slow flooding happened. You can do things to help with that. Here are some tips:

• Listen for evacuation orders in case you have to leave quickly, and know the routes to the shelter.
• Move valuable goods to a high location in your home, such as a second floor or an attic crawlspace.
• Build an emergency flood kit with enough food and water to last for three days. Check the food and water regularly for spoilage. A list of things you should add to one can be found from the Red Cross or from FEMA.
• If you have sandbags, use them to channel water away from your doors. Stack them like brick and make sure you give enough space around one door so you can open it after the flood. Sandbags swell and become heavy when flooded!
• Teach children and elderly persons what to do in a flood situation and who to contact.
• Again, if you hear there’s a flash flood on the way, get out ASAP.

Once the flood is over, it’s time to assess the damage. First, get the all-clear from authorities that it’s safe to come back to your home. Once there, inspect any external damage. Do the sides or roof seem bowed? Does the porch or deck look off-kilter? If so, the structure is compromised and you should call a water damage professional first to avoid collapse.

If it looks sound from the outside, carefully walk around inside. Avoid any bulging walls or ceilings and be careful of soft spots on the floor. These will need professional assistance. Take photographs of any damage before you call your insurance company to make a claim. (You do have flood insurance, right?) They will give you more instructions on how to clean up the mess and who to call.

We hope that San Diego and local homeowners can get their city dried out quickly so they can get back to enjoying the great weather they usually have.

Author: Michael J is the head of public relations department at Service Pros Local with primary focus on customer satisfaction. His main talking points are water damage restoration, environmental friendly house building and plant cultivation.

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