Rebuilding After Historic Flooding in San Diego

On January 22, 2024, San Diego experienced an unprecedented weather event that brought brief but intense rain. In a single day, 2.7 inches of rain fell, far surpassing the typical January monthly average of 2.28 inches.

The resulting downpour sent water rapidly rising before overwhelming local drainage systems, causing widespread flooding across several communities, including Southcrest and Spring Valley. As floodwaters over five feet swept through much of the area, three people died, and hundreds of homes suffered heavy damage.

One person affected, Roxanne, was home in Spring Valley during the flooding. When she first noticed some water, Roxanne thought she’d just left the front window open, but when she looked outside, Roxanne knew things were much worse.

Roxanne saw a torrent of water coming down the street, up her driveway, and into her one-story home. In a panic, she called everyone she knew, including her boyfriend, Jonathan, who also lived in the house but had taken his father to a doctor’s appointment. When he got the call, he rushed home.

When Jonathan arrived, the water had reached the headlights of their sedan and was freely flowing into the house. Thinking quickly, he ran into the backyard to dig a trench to help the water flow into the culvert behind their house.

Jonathan’s quick thinking helped; the water levels stayed below those two feet. However, the devastating damage was done. The flood destroyed many of their belongings and left water damage in every room of their home, leaving them without a safe place to stay and exposed the home to dangerous mold buildup.

Cleaning up After the Flood

Roxanne and Jonathan in their backyard, a few weeks after historic flooding in San Diego damaged their home. (CORE photo by Robert Tyler Walker)

The pair got to work ripping out their carpet and taking their possessions outside. But when they reached out to a contractor to see how much a complete muck and gut would cost, they were shocked to hear of prices north of 60k- money they didn’t have.

After the San Diego storms, CORE immediately responded. Through a grant from the San Diego Foundation and in partnership with All Hands and Hearts, CORE began community outreach to connect with those affected and perform home assessments. That’s where Roxanna and Johnathan first met CORE first responders.

Following a home assessment, CORE and All Hands and Heart’s team members came to Roxanna and Johnathan’s home to complete the much-needed mucking and gutting. In this process, staff carefully cleared out water-damaged flooring and drywall, leaving only the exposed concrete flooring and studs in the walls.

Not only did this work remove potential mold-causing materials from the homes, but staff also got a better assessment of moisture damage, which allowed the homeowner to get a more accurate scope of the work ahead.

CORE team members work with our partners at All Hands and Hearts to muck and gut Roxanne and Jonathan’s home after the devastating flood. (CORE photo by Robert Tyler Walker)

Roxanne said, “It’s a really big blessing that you guys came over and helped us with all the stuff that you are doing right now.”

CORE completed similar work with All Hands and Hearts at over a dozen homes in the area. This essential work saved families tens of thousands of dollars, allowing them to get one step closer to how things were before the flooding.

When CORE finished the muck and gutting, families were put in touch with other local partners who specialize in handling mold and construction.

California Program Manager Matt Gsell works on mucking and gutting Roxanne and Jonathan’s home, helping to eliminate mold-damaged material. (CORE photo by Robert Tyler Walker)

Each one of these steps proved crucial in getting residents back on their feet. As we know, the effects of climate change will increase in frequency and intensity, and its CORE’s mission to lend a hand to those impacted in their time of need.

“You guys have been doing a lot and have helped us so much, an incredible amount,” Roxanne said in the days following the repair work.

CORE is grateful for the partnership with All Hands and Hearts and the critical funding from the San Diego Foundation, which allowed all this vital work to take place.

If you’d like to learn more about CORE’s work in California, please visit our landing page.