Heavy rainfall triggered massive flooding in San Diego on Tuesday (January 23), leading to major waterlogging in California and other parts of the state. Several videos have surfaced showing waterlogged streets.
The government has issued a state emergency after the National Weather Service warned of continued flash flooding in southern parts of the US throughout the week. Hundreds of unhoused people were displaced when several feet of water inundated their homes.
Floods in San Diego
California has been ravaged by storms this week, but San Diego’s ageing stormwater system was overwhelmed by the heavy rain and quickly reached capacity, according to the city’s stormwater department. The San Diego River was flooding, the National Weather Service said, warning that crossing roads would be unsafe.
Waterlogging on Streets of San Diego
The city fire department said it had rescued at least 24 people from the rushing San Diego and Tijuana rivers. In the city’s Southcrest neighbourhood, hundreds of people had to be rescued from their homes as water rushed in around 11 am, the Los Angeles Times reported.