East County Alerts

October 11, 2015 (San Diego)--The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a heat advisory for San Diego County inland coastal and western valley areas from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (today).

Temperatures are expected to range from 90 to 95 degrees for inland coastal areas and 95 to 99 in western valley areas.

The County issued an alert at 10:45 a.m. today. The County continues to operate the Cool Zones program and has designated buildings as cooling centers.

East County News Service

September 30, 2015 (San Diego)—The Federal government’s Western Regional Climate Center is predicting with 92% certainty a strong El Niño from December to February.  Additionally, forecasters say there is a 50% chance that winter precipitation totals will be in the top 33% of historic values across Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico.

By Miriam Raftery – Photo by Jim Larson, Caltrans

September 8, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Exactly 39 years ago this week, Hurricane Kathleen struck our region – the most powerful tropical cylone ever to hit San Diego and Imperial Counties. With another powerful storm, Hurricane Linda, set to sock our region starting Wednesday, it’s worth remembering just how much devastation was wrought the last such storm set to hit the identical area, on the very same day of the year.

East County News Service

Photo credit: NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library; OAR/ERL/National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)

September 7, 2015 (San Diego's East County) --Thunderstorms erupted Monday over the San Diego County mountains and drifted into the deserts, where strong slow-moving cells produced 1-2" of rain in an hour. Flash flooding was reported in the San Diego County deserts on Hwy 78 and Highway S2.

Thunderstorms are likely to form again Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in the mountains and deserts, the National Weather Service predicts. Heavy rains with any slow moving thunderstorms may produce flash flooding over the mountain areas and the lower deserts, as well as debris flows.

East County News Service

August 16, 2015 (Salton Sea) – The National Weather Service confirmed yesterday that a severe storm that tore through Mecca on the north shore of the Salton Sea on August 6 was a tornado that caused over $10 million in damages.

By Miriam Raftery

August 13, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for San Diego County deserts and a heat advisory for mountain and valley areas. 

The warning and advisory are in effect from Friday at 1 p.m. to Monday at 9 p.m. Temperatures are forecast to reach 116 in Borrego Springs, 105 in Campo, 104 in Ramona, 102 in Alpine and 100 in El Cajon, shattering prior records.

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

July 29, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --We feel the impact every day. Warm temperatures and lack of rain continue to increased drought conditions. With greater evaporation, particularly during the summer and fall, this will and is exacerbating drought conditions resulting in an extremely high increase of wildfires. Fires are spreading at a phenomenal rate of spread. A deadly and disastrous rate that impacts us all!

East County News Service

July 26, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Enjoy the sunny weather while it lasts.  Thunderstorms and rain are apt to return to San Diego County this week, the National Weather Service predicts.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos and video courtesy of Cal Fire

July 19, 2015 (Palm Springs)—Heavy rains washed out a bridge east of Palm Springs at Adair (four miles west of Desert Center) late today and caused it to collapse. The dramatic failure forced closure of I-10 in both directions and injured a motorist who plunged into the abyss.  CHP reports that 30 feet of the I-10 freeway washed away—the major route from Riverside and Los Angeles counties into Arizona.

Motorists have been stuck in traffic for hours and motels quickly filled up, local TV stations report.  There is no quick alternative; drivers have been diverted several hours out of their way to I-8 in the southern part of the state, or to another major highway farther north.

East County Alert

July 19, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning due to imminent threat of flooding in certain mountain areas, where residents are urged to move to high ground.

There is also a flash flood watch in effect for all San Diego County valleys, deserts and mountain areas, including places where debris flows are possible.  Below are full texts of both alerts:

July 19, 2015 (La Mesa) -- Kristin Kjaero shot this sequence of photos during the mid day storms on Saturday, July 18, 2015.

The photos show Mt. Helix disappearing in the clouds, then reappearing in the sunshine.

By Robert Gehr

July 18, 2015 (El Cajon)--Saturday morning July 18^th began with an early morning wake up call by Mother Nature herself . The sound of lightning - THUNDER!

East County News Service

Photo: View from Lyons Peak, Jamul, courtesy UCSD HP Wren webcam

Update 3:30 p.m. -

• Mudslide across roadway: Highland Valley and Archie Moore roads, Ramona, CHP site reports
• Hellhole Canyon Preserve: Vegetation fire, North County, per scanner
• Lightning fire on hillside, Bancroft and Campo Rd. reported, scanner and CHP

June 30, 2015 (Lakeside) 2:40 p.m. - Thunder, lightning and heavy fires are sparking multiple emergency responses across East County. Here are highlights within the past hour:

• Flooding is reporting in Alpine at Tavern and East Willow Road exits.
• A fire was reported at 94 near Shockey Truck Trail.
• Fire crews have also been dispatched to Kitchen Creek near Cameron Truck Trail, per scanner traffic.
• An earlier fire on Highway 67 near Slaughterhouse Canyon is out, halted at about 3 acres.
• Power lines are down and a power pole reported leaning across the roadway at Dye Road in Ramona.
• SDG&E reports power outages in Eastlake/Otay are impacting 171 customers with restoration estimated at 6:30 p.m.
• A larger outage is affected 623 households in Dulzura, Potrero, Campo, Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, And Morena Village areas with rsetoration estimated for 4:30 p.m.
  

County News Service; photo via PhotoSpin

June 16, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--With prolonged high temperatures expected to reach up to 115 in San Diego County deserts over the next few days, County health officials are reminding the public to take precautions to avoid heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a heat advisory in effect now through Sunday at 7 p.m. for the lower desert areas of eastern San Diego County. Temperatures inland will be anywhere from 5 to 10 degrees above average with high temperatures forecast of 112 to 115 degrees. Nighttime temperatures will only drop into the 80s. Mountain and foothill areas in the county are expected to be warm as well with highs in the 90s. Coastal areas will be near-normal temperatures.

The County operates the Cool Zones program and has designated more than 115 air-conditioned buildings as cooling centers. Locations and hours of operation can be found on a new interactive map on CoolZones.org or by calling 2-1-1 San Diego. The sites are identified by a light blue Polar Bear Cool Zone logo.