Heavy rain has been pummeling San Diego County for the last three days as an atmospheric river (think: a literal “river in the sky”) sweeps the region. We’ve been watching the impact of this week’s storm closely, here’s a quick recap:
- As of 3:35 p.m. on Feb. 9, the NWS said 7-day rainfall totals included 4.41 inches of rain in Oceanside, 3.57 inches in National City, 3.11 inches in Kearny Mesa, 3.53 inches in Santee, 2.49 inches in Point Loma, and 2.85 at the San Diego International Airport; keep checking NWS for updates on those stats — they change daily.
- A countywide Flood Watch is set to expire the morning of Feb. 7.
- The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flood Warning on Feb. 6 for the San Diego River at Fashion Valley. As of 4:15 a.m. on Feb. 6, the river was at 9.6 ft, expected to rise up to 10.3 ft — above the “flood stage” of 10 ft. The river was expected to fall below 10 ft by late morning on Feb. 7.
- Did you get a Tornado Warning on your device on Feb. 6 at 11:44 a.m.? Us too. The NWS briefly issued that rare alert for about an hour due to “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Paradise Hills and near Chula Vista “moving northeast at 35 mph.” Communities impacted by the warning included El Cajon, National City, La Mesa, Santee, Lemon Grove, Encanto, Spring Valley, Mountain View, and Rolando.
- If you’re impacted by the storm, keep these local emergency resources handy. The City of San Diego’s Storm Preparedness website has info on road closures and flooding, and you should also sign up for emergency alerts via Alert San Diego.
- The NWS is forecasting lighter rain today and another wet — but weaker — weather system coming in tomorrow, possibly lingering into Friday, Feb. 9.
