San Diego officials stepped up flood preparations on Saturday, October 10, as Post-Tropical Storm Rachel approached Southern California, with city crews clearing drainage channels in flood-prone neighborhoods and businesses scrambling to protect property from potential heavy rain.
Maintenance teams worked in Sorrento Valley and Southcrest, two communities severely affected by the historic January 2024 floods, removing debris, clearing blocked waterways and reinforcing vulnerable areas ahead of the storm. The preparations come as meteorologists track Rachel’s movement and provide updated forecasts to local authorities to help guide emergency planning.
The storm was initially monitored as Tropical Storm Rachel before it transitioned into a post-tropical storm on Saturday night, according to NBC 7 San Diego, which reported the change at 9:25 p.m..
San Diego clears drainage channels in flood-prone areas
Deep Dive
How is San Diego preparing for possible flooding from Post-Tropical Storm Rachel?
Why are Sorrento Valley and Southcrest considered vulnerable to flooding?
What coastal closures or evacuation orders were issued as Rachel approached Southern California?
In Sorrento Valley, city maintenance crews removed tree branches, heavy brush and other debris from stormwater channels along Sorrento Valley Road and Roselle Street. Front loaders and excavators were deployed to clear obstructions that could restrict the flow of rising water during heavy rainfall.
The industrial neighborhood has experienced significant flooding in the past, damaging businesses and leaving vehicles submerged or swept along flooded streets. It was among the areas hit hard by the January 2024 floods.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the city’s drainage infrastructure was struggling to keep pace with increasingly severe weather.
“The fact of the matter is our storm channel system was built for a bygone era. Climate change is real,” Gloria told NBC 7 during a visit to the preparation sites on Saturday.
“The magnitude of extreme weather events challenge our existing system because it’s undersized for what we’ve got,” he added.
The clean-up effort had been underway for several weeks. Despite San Diego’s significant budget deficit, funding for stormwater maintenance was not reduced this year, allowing the work to continue.
Businesses race to protect property as rain approaches
The approaching storm revived concerns among Sorrento Valley business owners still mindful of previous flooding.
Ali Namvar, owner of Green Rabbit landscaping, recalled how floodwaters swept through Roselle Street, saying his service trucks had been caught in the torrent.
“All my service trucks were literally floating down the street like a river,” Namvar told NBC 7.
Ahead of the latest storm, his employees were rushing to deliver nearly 3,000 pounds of fertilizer to customers before the heaviest rain arrived.
Nearby, construction workers renovating a building set to become the headquarters of commercial construction company JB Pacific faced a separate challenge. With sections of the roof removed, the crew had to race to protect the partially exposed structure.
“I knew we were going to get some storms, but I thought we had a little bit more time,” said Walker Bond, the renovation superintendent. “So, we ripped up the roof, and it’s got a whole bunch of holes in it now. It's a scramble to put everything back together.”
Southcrest receives flood-prevention work as forecasts are monitored
Flood preparations also extended to Southcrest, another neighborhood devastated by the January 2024 flooding. Crews have been working near a local park where a drainage channel became clogged with rubbish and debris during the disaster.
The project, which began earlier this year, includes excavating soil and reinforcing sections of the area. City officials are also examining longer-term measures to reduce the risk of another major flooding event, although the current improvements are not a permanent solution.
Meanwhile, meteorologists with the National Weather Service have been monitoring Rachel’s track, wind speeds and potential rainfall, sharing updated forecasts with city and county officials.
Adam Roser, one of the meteorologists tracking the storm, said the tropical storm watch had provided an opportunity to strengthen coordination between forecasters and local authorities.
“A tropical storm watch isn't something we see very often,” Roser told NBC 7. “It's been a great learning opportunity to make those relationships with those city officials to continue to keep the community safe.”
The forecasts are being used to help authorities assess emergency preparations, possible road closures and other steps to protect residents and property as the weather system moves through the region.