Widespread showers continued to produce heavy rainfall in parts of San Diego County Sunday, causing flooding at Fashion Valley Mall, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the San Diego River, including the mall area, that was in effect until midnight Sunday. The weather service said minor flooding was expected.
A flood watch remained in effect until 6 p.m. for the county, with minor flooding possible in low-lying and poor drainage areas. The weather service said between 0.25 and 0.5 inches of rain fell as of 8:12 a.m., with additional rainfall amounts of 0.25 to 0.5 inches expected Sunday.
Some locations that were expected to experience flooding include Fallbrook and Camp Pendleton.
Officials warned residents to be prepared to take action should flooding develop, and be alert in the mountains for rock slides and rocks in the road.
Sunday’s San Diego surf forecast includes a high-risk rip current, with surf height from 5 to 8 feet, local sets 8 to 10 feet early, a slight chance of a thunderstorm and a west swell from 260 degrees.
A special marine warning was issued around midday for coastal waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican Border and out to 30 nautical miles.
“At 1155 AM PDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing waterspouts was located 16 nm west of La Jolla, moving north at 15 knots,” the NWS advised, warning of waterspouts, wind gusts to nearly 50 knots and small hail.
During the rain, the city’s Storm Patrol — made up of dozens of teams from the Transportation and Stormwater departments — will monitor pump stations and more than 46,000 storm drains throughout the city for any issues. They will also respond to reported incidents of flooding, and downed trees or branches.
Residents may report storm-related problems or issues by calling the city’s Public Works Dispatch at 619-527-7500 or using the Get It Done app.
The Inclement Weather Shelter Program for San Diegans experiencing homelessness was activated Sunday by the San Diego Housing Commission for the following locations:
- Father Joe’s Villages Paul Mirabile Center, 1501 Imperial Ave., up to 62 adults. Check-in at 4 p.m., check-out at 5 a.m.
- Living Water Church of the Nazarene, 1550 Market St., up to 28 adults. Check-in at 8 p.m., check-out at 6:30 a.m.
- San Diego Rescue Mission, 120 Elm St., up to 10 single women able to access the top bunks. Check-in at 5 p.m., check-out at 7 a.m.
- Joan Kroc Center, 1501 Imperial Ave., up to 61 adults, and an additional 11 beds for families with minor children and/or single women. Check-in at 4 p.m, check-out at 5 a.m.
The storm was expected to continue throughout Easter Sunday, with isolated thunderstorms possible in the afternoon.
Snow levels were expected to fall to 5,000 to 5,500 feet in San Diego County, with several feet of snow possible above 6,000 feet by the end of the weekend, and strong winds combined with blowing snow will lead to extremely difficult travel in the mountains, forecasters said.
“By Monday, the trough becomes elongated and centered over northwest Mexico, but enough instability will remain to continue our chances for scattered, but lighter showers and thunderstorms through Monday morning,” the NWS said. “By the afternoon, the majority of the activity looks to become confined to the mountains, with other areas slowly drying out.”
High temperatures Monday are expected to be 64 to 67 along the coast, 64 to 67 in the western valleys, 58 to 63 near the foothills, 51 to 59 in the mountains and 71 to 74 in the deserts, according to NWS.
Updated 12:36 p.m., Sunday, March 31, 2024
City News Service contributed to this article.