An powerful storm dumped heavy showers on San Diego County Tuesday, causing roads to crumble and flooding others, prompting power outages and toppling a few trees in our rain-fatigued region.
The county has already seen more than an inch of rain in most communities and is forecasted to get more rain and mountain snow before the storm moves out of the region on Thursday. Some areas are slated to get up to 3 inches of rain and elevations above 4,000 feet could get between 3 to 10 inches of snow.
Another burst of heavy rain doused the county overnight into Wednesday and throughout the day, the county will be met with off-and-on showers, NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
The heavy rainfall has already caused several problems on San Diego's roadways -- including downed trees, flooding and erosion. Continuing showers, gusty winds and high surf along the coast Wednesday means there is still room for damage.
Here's what you need to know:
Sinkholes, Flooding and Damaged Roads
Local
More rain means more corroding roads for San Diego County.
A major renovation project on SR-78 near Oceanside was halted Tuesday due to the rain. Westbound lanes of the major freeway have been shutdown since last Wednesday after a sinkhole began to form under the roadway. Caltrans said several culverts need to be repaired but could not continue work amid Tuesday's heavy rainfall. Early estimates slated roadwork to be completed by last Friday then work was expected on eastbound lanes, but that was pushed back until this Friday. At this point, Caltrans says they can't give an estimate on when the road will be open.
Nearby in Vista, a sinkhole developed along Pomelo Drive, closing a portion of the sidewalk. The Vista Public Works Department said they would not be able to begin to repair the area until the rain passes.
Trees Down
Weeks of heavy rain has loosened soil around large trees across San Diego, causing several to collapse amid strong winds. So far during this storm, San Diego city crews reported trees tumbling in the Balboa Park area -- at least one 110 feet tall.
Road Closures
The San Diego County Department of Public Works said chains would be required for vehicles on Palomar Mountain and on Mount Laguna between SR-79 and Old Highway 80.
In wake of the storm, the San Diego County Department of Public Works announced the following closures Tuesday:
- Spring Valley – Quarry Road, from State Route 125 to Lakeview Drive.
- Spring Valley - Cole Grade dip is closed from Spring Valley to Old Cole Grade due to flooding
- Rainbow – 5th St. from Old Highway 395 to Huffstatler St.
- Rainbow - Huffstatler St., from 5th St. to 2nd St.
- Deluz – Riverside County line to 40153 De Luz Murrieta
- Coronado - 1400 block of Pomona.
- Oceanside - The on-ramp from El Camino Real to eastbound SR-78.
- Julian - Black Canyon Rd. is closed from Southerland Dam Rd. to Hallyeyaaw Ln.
- Alpine - Via Viejas is closed from Palo Danzante to Calle De Pescadores due to flooding
- Fallbrook - Sandia Creek Rd. is closed from Santa Margarita Preserve to Rock Mountain Rd.
- Bonsall - Camino Del Rey is closed from Camino Del Cielo to Via Maria Elena.
- Ramona - Letton St. is closed from Main St. to Kelly Ave. due to flooding.
- Ramona - Ramona St. is closed at H St. and Raymond due to flooding.
- Ramona - 13th St. at Main St. and Walnut St. is closed due to flooding.
- Pine Valley - Pine Creek crossing is closed between Pine Creek Rd. and Valley View Trail due to flooding
- Jamul - Otay Lakes Rd. from mile marker 10 to mile marker 4 due to flooding.
- Escondido - Country Club Dr. is closed South of Harmony Grove Rd.
- Track the latest updates here.
The city of San Diego shut down several roads in Mission Valley that cross over the San Diego River, which often floods amid heavy rain. The following closures will be in effect until further notice:
- Camino De La Reina at Camino De La Siesta (westbound).
- Camino De La Reina west of Avenida Del Rio (eastbound).
- San Diego Mission Road between Fairmount and Caminito Yucatan (eastbound and westbound).
- Qualcomm Way and Rio San Diego Drive (southbound only).
- Mission Center Road between Hazard Center Drive and Camino De La Reina (northbound).
- Ward Road at Camino Del Rio N (southbound).
- Camino Del Este between Station Village Drive and Camino De La Reina (northbound).
- Camino Del Este between Station Village Drive and Camino De La Reina (southbound).
Power Outages
Thousands of customers were out of power Tuesday afternoon amid the inclement weather. At the height of the outage around 11 a.m., around 5,000 San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) company customers were without power. By 3 p.m., all but a few hundred had been restored.
In the majority of the cases, the utility said it was investigating the cause of each outage. For a detailed look at SDG&E's outage map, click here.
Anticipating the storm, SDG&E provided tips to the public to brace for high winds and rain. According to the utility, it advises the following:
- If you see a downed power line or damaged electrical equipment, STAY from it. Call 911 to report the damage and SDG&E at 1-800-411-7343.
- If a person has come into contact with a power line, do not touch them. Call 9-1-1 immediately.
- Secure any loose outdoor items like umbrellas, patio furniture and garbage bins to prevent them from flying away and damaging power lines.
- Drive safely. During storm conditions, the number of cars hitting transformers or power poles increases, so be sure to slow down and allow more time for braking.
- Have a plan and kit with essential supplies. Keep a battery-operated radio and flashlights handy in case the power goes out. Check the batteries now to make sure the equipment works, and do not rely on candles for lighting during a power outage.
- In the event you do experience a power outage, customers are encouraged to visit sdge.com/outages for status updates and to view SDG&E’s outage map.
- If you rely on electrically operated medical equipment for your health and safety, make sure you have made backup power arrangements in case of an unplanned outage.
- If you see SDG&E crews working in the field, please be sure to slow down while driving to give them space to restore power as safely as possible.
