By Miriam Raftery

February 7, 2024 (Pine Valley) – Crews from multiple agencies are searching for the crew of a military helicopter that went missing southeast of Pine Valley and north of Interstate 8 near Kitchen Creek Road. The helicopter has been located this morning as of 10:50 a.m., but the crew has not yet been found.

Heavy snow is making it difficult for searchers to access the area. Cal Fire San Diego is currently in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service, according to Cal Fire. Agencies helping in the search include the U.S. Border Patrol, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept., and California Civil Air Patrol.

By Miriam Raftery

February 5, 2024 (San Diego)—A powerful storm fueled by a “Pineapple Express”  atmospheric river is pummeling much of California and is slated to reach San Diego County later today. The Governor has declared an emergency in eight counties including San Diego to support storm response and recovery efforts.  A flood watch for San Diego County issued by the National Weather Service will be in effect starting at 4 p.m. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria has issued evacuation warnings for Encanto, Southcrest Mountain View--east San Diego communities along the flood plain.

A new city-run local assistance center for flood victims at the Mountain View Community Center is closed today due to the severe weather and will reopen when weather permits. For updates in the city of San Diego, visit http://sandiego.gov/storm .  For storm recovery in the County, visit https://www.alertsandiego.org/en-us/recovery.html.  

Neither the County nor any East County cities have yet issued evacuation warnings, though residents in low-lying areas especially those that previously flooded should stay vigilant as the heaviest rains and winds hit our region late today, tonight and tomorrow.

Source: County News Service

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

February 3, 2023 (San Diego) --  The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 30, 2024, took new actions to help people in communities flooded by the Jan. 22, 2024, torrential rains, including putting into place temporary additional tenant protection measures. The approved ordinance prohibits people who were affected by the floods from being evicted without just cause. The ordinance also restricts certain rent increases on eligible properties from January 22, 2024, to March 30, 2024.

The flood affected areas specified in the ordinance include residential units located in the following ZIP codes: 92102, 92104, 92105, 92111, 92113, 92114, 92115, (San Diego); 91977 (Spring Valley); 91950 (National City);91945 (Lemon Grove); and 92118 (Coronado).

By Kirsten Andelman

Photo, left: flooded home of the Ford family along Chollas Creek

February 1, 2024 (Spring Valley)-- When 86-year old Bienvenida Ford felt the water on her feet January 22, all she could do was yell for her sleeping daughter, Debbie, who jumped up and called 911.  But by then, the waters rushing in from the swollen Chollas Creek were already up to the women’s calves.

Within 20 minutes, the water in their National Avenue living room was up to Bienvenida’s ribs.  In the nick of time, two rescue workers swam inside and dragged her by her armpits to higher ground. Meanwhile, Debbie Ford, age 50, was fending for herself, half paddling, half floating out the front door and towards higher ground.  Hundreds of yards away she could see their freezer – recently stuffed with homemade lumpia – laying on its side on a neighbor’s property.

Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS^® Reminds Homeowners to Prioritize the Purchase of Flood Insurance

By Greater San Diego Association of Realtors®

File photo: CC by SA-NC via Bing

February 1, 2024 (San Diego) -- As the impact from the unprecedented flooding in San Diego County subsides, the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS^® (SDAR) is reminding homeowners of how critical flood insurance is to helping protect your home and valuables. It is key to note that most homeowner insurance options do not cover damage from floods, meaning that individuals are required to purchase an additional coverage option for full flood protection. While basic insurance policies will cover damage from broken appliances or a damaged water pipe, full-scale flood coverage is not included.

Statewide, fewer than 2% of all homeowners have flood insurance on their property, and less than 50% have flood insurance protection in higher risk areas. If an individual is looking to acquire flood insurance, they can purchase it from a state-licensed insurance agent through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

February 1, 2024 (San Diego) –Mayor Todd Gloria has issued a voluntary evacuation warning for people living in low-lying areas of the city ahead of the new storm moving into the area. The warning was texted to residents in theflood plain areas in Southcrest, Mountain View, Encanto, San Ysidro, Sorrento Valley and Mission Valley.

If the voluntary warning becomes an order,  San Diego Police will go door to door to inform residents.

A shelter has been set up at the municipal gym in Balboa Park. Anyone in the evacuation warning areas who needs a free ride to the shelter can call (619)280-4444 under an agreement between the city and the Ride United app.

The Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties is continuing to provide shelter for people displaced from their homes at the Lincoln High School Gymnasium located at 4777 Imperial Ave., San Diego, CA 92133. The Red Cross San Diego phone number is 858-309-1200. 

Many roads in the city are closed due to potential flooding today. For a current list, visit https://www.sandiego.gov/storm/road-closures.

By Sir Milo Loftin, County of San Diego Communications Office

Video by Suzanne Bartole

January 31, 2024 (Spring Valley) -- County crews are helping families clean up debris from the Jan. 22 storm.

Teams visited 40 homes in Spring Valley Monday to help support disposal of household hazardous waste.

More rain is forecast this week. Do not put debris near the curb where it can wash away and cause a hazard. If you live in the unincorporated area and your home was damaged by the recent storm, call 2-1-1 for referrals to resources.

JPA to discuss options in a closed-door meeting with legal counsel

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Dr. Michael Hager, President, Friends of the Water Conservation Garden, and Lauren Magnuson, Interim Director of the Garden

January 30, 2024 (El Cajon) – Friends of the Water Conservation Garden and the garden’s new interim director, Lauren Magnuson, made impassioned pleas at a January 23 meeting,  asking the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to allocate additional funds through June to help alleviate a financial crisis.

The Water Conservation Garden is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year. Magnuson. said, “We supported the community during the pandemic. Now we are hoping that the community will support us.”

The Garden has over $1 million in financial obligations, including large loans taken out during the pandemic and some smaller grant funds slated to be returned. Questions have been raised by the JPA over years of inaccurate record-keeping practices and borrowing by Friends to cover the Garden’s operating expenses, among other concerns.

“The Garden has significantly cut our monthly budget by more than half,” Magnuson told ECM in an interview earlier this month. “We unfortunately had to furlough a good portion of our staff and lean on current staff to absorb those furloughed positions.” She has pledged full transparency and open communication with staff and volunteers, scrambling to pull together financial records and options to help the garden grow and thrive in the future—though the task is daunting.

By Tom Christensen, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 27, 2024 (San Diego) -- County officials provided an update today on recovery efforts after the unprecedented storm earlier this week that deluged various communities in the region with more than two inches of rain in just two hours.

“We are bringing together the city, county and state resources to help those that need it the most,” said Chairwoman Nora Vargas, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “To all those that have been impacted, I want to make sure you know we are doing everything we can to bring you the resources you need and to make sure we help you as you recover from this natural disaster.”

Chairwoman Vargas also announced she was postponing the State of the County address. Instead she will host a “Day of Service” for San Diego flood victims.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

January 26, 2024 (Spring Valley) - St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Spring Valley has been a place of worship for Ukrainians across San Diego since 1960. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, the small church has welcomed and helped many Ukrainian refugees—and has also gathered humanitarian relief supplies to send to war-torn Ukraine.

By Sir Milo Loftin, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 25, 2024 (San Diego) -- With the possibility of another storm heading to the region next week, the County and CAL FIRE are offering free sandbags to residents and businesses in the unincorporated area to prepare for heavy rain.

The Jan. 22 storm brought historic rainfall to the county, causing flood damage to many homes and businesses. Forecasters say more rain may arrive by the middle of next week.

To prepare for potential flooding or soil erosion, people in the unincorporated areas can visit any one of several fire stations to get and fill sandbags.

By Miriam Raftery

January 25, 2024  (San Diego) – Shane Harris, president of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, held a press conference in the Mountain View community Tuesday to announce plans to file a class action lawsuit against the City of San Diego for “long-standing negligence” in failing to clear flood channels before severe storms.  He was joined by residents whose homes flooded along the 100-year flood plain including Encanto, Southcrest and Mountain View. 

Residents interested in participating in the class action suit can visit www.pajmovement.org/sandiegoflood.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office

January 24, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is warning businesses and scammers not to take advantage of consumers by price gouging or other fraud schemes during a state of an emergency – doing so can result in prosecution and jail.

As a result of the damage and devastation caused by the severe storm on Jan.22, the County of San Diego has proclaimed a local emergency on behalf of the Board of Supervisors in anticipation that resources and assistance from the state and federal government may be needed. The City of San Diego also proclaimed an emergency, and Governor Gavin Newsom declared an emergency in the county. During a declared state of emergency, it is illegal for a business to increase its prices for essential goods or services by more than 10 percent, unless they can show their own costs have been increased.

East County News Service

January 23, 2024 (San Diego's East County)--If you or someone you know is experiencing unsafe living conditionsin EastCounty due to flooding, the Red Cross has opened a shelter.  The shelter is in the Bostonia Recreation Room,1049 Bostonia St.,El Cajon. Additional shelters have been opened at Lincoln High School and the Coronado Community Center.

"The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services is actively monitoring the storm and its impacts," says Supervisor Joel Anderson, who notes that the winter storm ha affected many parts of the County, with multiple communities and highways experiencing flooding, "especially communities I represent in the unincorporated area of the County."

"The County of San Diego will be assisting with damages caused by the winter storm. More details on that will be shared in the coming days," Supervisor Anderson adds. "For now, if there's any way my office can be of assistance to you during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to us using the contact form on my website."

The safety of students and school staff is of the upmost importance to San Diego County School Districts. The following schools have early dismissals or closures planned for this week. Please contact your school's administration for more details:

"This commission is a poison pill designed to slash Social Security and Medicare behind closed doors."

By Jake Johnson, senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Deed

Photo: House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Library of Congress

January 22, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) -- Social Security defenders sounded the alarm ahead of a Thursday House Budget Committee hearing and vote on the Fiscal Commission Act, bipartisan legislation that opponents say is a ploy to fast-track cuts to the popular New Deal program without political accountability.

"This commission is a poison pill designed to slash Social Security and Medicare behind closed doors," Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said in a statement ahead of Thursday's markup. "The White House has accurately stated that such a commission is a 'death panel for Medicare and Social Security.'"