In Southeast San Diego, people are picking up the pieces after Sunday and Monday’s historic rainstorm.
“So many of our homeowners, our residents, have lost, you know, a life's worth of memories,” said community member Dwayne Hill. “They’re displaced. They’re in hotels. Some of them are sleeping in [the] Lincoln High School gym.”
The Great Flood of 2024
In the Southcrest neighborhood, the blocks closest to Chollas Creek had piles of couches, chairs, books and clothes, all covered in mud and grime, waiting to be taken away.
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“My mother, she’s lived here for 31 years,” said Stan Kimbrough, who came from Texas for the weekend to help her clean. “She’s 86 years old, and she’s got basically nothing. Everything’s gone.”
Kimbrough followed the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) recommendations and wore a long jumpsuit, along with gloves, boots and a mask. He said his mother-in-law and sister-in-law, who both lived in the house, had to be rescued from the flooded home by police officers on Monday.
“By the time that they were here, by the time they were noticed, it was already up past their knees in the house,” Kimbrough said. “She opened the door and everything came in.”
The Texan said the Southcrest home is where they would celebrate birthdays and holidays, and that his mother-in-law cooked the best meals there.
“The whole neighborhood smells her cooking,” Kimbrough said with a smile, recalling the memories.
Kimbrough explained that his mother was renting and did not have insurance that would cover the extent of the damage. He will return to Texas on Monday and is just trying to do as much as he can.
“This is not a short thing," Hill said. "This is not an easy fix, but we’re going to do it if we have to do it ourselves.”
Hill spent Friday driving block-by-block through Southcrest helping his neighbors haul large items to dumpsters at the Southcrest Recreation Center.
“We can do a lot together,” Hill said.
San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno, who represents District 8, organized a volunteer clean-up effort on Friday. that will continue Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The meeting location is near the rec center.
The city of San Diego is encouraging anyone who needs large items to be hauled away from sidewalks outside of their homes to report the piles through the Get it Done app under the “illegal dumping” category or by calling 858-694-7000.
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