Heavy rainfall brought on by strong El Niño storms are wreaking havoc across the country. Residents of San Diego are experiencing serious repercussions, as sinkholes, flooding, and danger lurks around every corner of the city.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the El Niño storm made its way through San Diego, causing the water to rise quickly in several parts of the city. Lifeguards and rescue workers worked quickly to rescue people from flooded streets and homes. On Wednesday, Miramar Road and Cabot Drive suddenly became flooded, and lifeguards brought the passengers of four or five cars to safety.
Similar rescues have been happening all over town, in areas such as Roselle Street near Sorrento Valley and Ward Street in Mission Valley.
In La Jolla Shores, a sinkhole opened up. The hole is larger than a car and is exposing a gas line. While it has not been ruptured yet, experts fear that a slab of concrete could rupture it. Authorities have warned residents to avoid the area until the sinkhole is repaired.
And in residential areas near the San Diego river, homes are experiencing serious flooding problems, finding themselves knee-deep in water. According to statistics, almost 98% of all basements incur some kind of water damage; San Diego homes in areas like Point Loma will have inevitably incurred water damage of some kind as a result of the recent floods.
According to NBC 7 reports, the flash floods submerged Point Loma streets in less than 10 minutes. For one resident, Kelly Fouquier, the water damage was so extensive that firefighters had to pull her out from her window.
“Literally, it’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my entire life. I’ve never experienced anything like that; any type of disaster like that,” she explained. “I was really, really scared.”
As rescues are underway and extensive damage continues, the residents of San Diego can only hope that the El Niño storm lets up for the remainder of the season.
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