Ravaged by recent heavy rains, high tides, and flooding, San Diego coastal communities are bracing as two atmospheric river storms, also known as a “Pineapple Express,” arrive bringing widespread heavy rain and potential flooding. A “Pineapple Express” is a weather pattern that brings a lot of moisture from the tropical Pacific near Hawaii and hits the West Coast hard.
The first storm, expected Jan. 31-Feb. 1 (after press time), was anticipated to bring significant rain to Southern California and San Diego, delivering as much as one to three inches of rain across much of the region.

But a second storm, expected to follow early next week, was deemed by officials to be “by far the most concerning (of the two) from a flooding perspective.” Weather models indicated the potential for a second atmospheric river “potentially stalling/slowing down over Central/Southern California that could bring prolonged periods of heavy rain on already saturated soils, bringing the potential for significant flood issues.”

Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow atmospheric regions, typically several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. They can carry a greater flux of water than Earth’s largest river, the Amazon, and have been increasing slightly in intensity over the past century.

Monday, Jan. 22 proved to be “the fifth wettest day in San Diego since 1850 with rainfall rates in some areas approaching a half-inch per hour,” according to the National Weather Service. The deluge prompted the federal agency to issue a flash-flood warning for the western valleys and the ocean coastline of San Diego County.

NWS lead meteorologist Stefanie Sullivan said the Jan. 22 storm could have been worse. “Technically, the atmospheric river didn’t make it to the coast, it was off the coast, though there was still plenty of moisture,” she said. “Potentially, there was more moisture to our south so that we could have had more rain.”

Characterizing the Jan. 22 storm as possibly leading to a “500- to 1,000-year flood event,” Sullivan warned, “It may not be that long before we see another one,” though adding it is “very unlikely” that will happen sooner rather than later. Of the coming storms, Sullivan added: “There are signals we could see significant amounts of rain again, though it’s uncertain exactly how much that will be.”

Meanwhile, City work crews continued clearing streets of mud and debris and making necessary infrastructure repairs following last week’s devastating rainstorm. Crews had removed more than 1,443 tons of mud, debris, trash, and bulky items from high-impact flooding areas including Southcrest, Shelltown, Mountain View, Encanto, and others.

Teams were working with the City’s Environmental Services Department to assist with removing and properly disposing of hazardous materials like paint, oil, and batteries. Heavy equipment was also deployed to clear storm debris from culverts along Chollas Creek and other channels in adversely affected City areas.

Residents in highly impacted areas were being urged to prepare for more wet weather and make a plan to avoid low-lying areas in the event of another storm. Tips to prepare can be found at Ready.gov/floods. Also for residents citywide, sand and empty sandbags will be available at 10 City recreation centers (PB Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond St.) this week between 1-7 p.m. Residents are encouraged to bring shovels to fill the bags themselves. For residents in communities that were severely impacted by flooding last week, pre-filled sandbags will be delivered to their neighborhoods.

District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava representing La Jolla and Pacific Beach along the beachfront noted flooding damage was so extensive in certain neighborhoods that “people lost everything they owned and cars were lost.” He added the City has sent out trucks to haul away leftover debris “trying to remove all the silt that gets dropped with flooding.”

He said the County has stepped up to “provide resources and supplies” to help the relief effort. Also, the council member pointed out that the City Council this week also “declared a state of emergency,” which is “one of the first steps” to apply for federal relief funding.

To support local businesses impacted by this month’s record storm, the City will launch an emergency response grant to provide funds for up to 100 small businesses and nonprofits. The Business Emergency Response & Resilience Grant will make financial assistance available with up to $2,500 per business, and up to $5,000 for businesses and nonprofits in the federally designated Promise Zone and Low-Moderate Income Census tract areas. The application period will open in mid-February. The City is encouraging business owners to track any expenses related to storm recovery.

“We are doing everything we can to ease the burden on residents and small businesses that were in the path of this natural disaster,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “Having our neighborhood businesses up and running is important for the community’s recovery from the devastation, and I encourage business owners to start preparing to apply so we can get these grants out to them as quickly as possible.”

Eligible expenses for the grant funds include supplies and labor for storm cleanup efforts; repairs and equipment replacement not covered by insurance; employee wages; and insurance deductibles. The current budget for this program is $370,000 through the City’s Small Business Enhancement Program.

To qualify for this grant, business owners will need to demonstrate they were impacted by the storm and have a current Business Tax Certificate on file with the City. Only businesses with 12 or fewer employees are eligible.

WHEN RAINS ARRIVE

• Report flooding to the City’s emergency dispatch center at 619-527-7500.
• For life-threatening emergencies call 9-1-1.
• Report downed electrical lines or gas emergencies to San Diego Gas & Electric at 800-411-7343.
• Leave early if your property is in a flood zone. Water levels can rise fast once storms start. Do not hesitate to move if you see rising water.
• Follow all instructions issued by public safety personnel.
• Drive carefully! Take your time getting home or to work.
• Slow down and do not drive through standing water.