The San Diego City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a declaration of local emergency in connection with the winter storm that pummeled the city last month.
In the declaration issued by Mayor Kevin Faulconer last week, the Feb. 26-27 storm “caused widespread flooding, wind damage and debris flows” and “resulted in significant emergency response and recovery activities by the city.”
The city estimated $1.4 million worth of damage and emergency response costs due to the storm.
The local emergency proclamation, combined with one issued by Gov. Jerry Brown last week for San Diego and other counties around California, will allow the city to receive financial assistance for recovery and some mitigation efforts.
“The February 2017 winter storm was extraordinary in the amount of rainfall it produced,” the declaration says. “As a result of the storms, city departments were engaged in widespread emergency response and recovery activities such as swift water rescue operations, traffic control, debris removal, clearing/repairing of storm drains, tree and mud removal.
Additionally, city public facilities incurred damages from storm impacts including flooding, high winds and fallen trees.”
Areas of San Diego County received record rainfall when the Pacific storm mixed with tropical moisture as it moved through the region.
The council ratified the mayor’s proclamation on a 7-0 vote. Councilmen David Alvarez and Mark Kersey were absent.
—City News Service