SAN DIEGO — A short walk down a trail at the Mission Valley Preserve leads you to the San Diego River.
The morning after Tropical Storm Hilary passed over San Diego County, the river is running much higher than usual.
"It's actually, I think, 6 feet higher than it was before this storm," said Sarah Hutmacher, the CEO of the San Diego River Foundation.
The group works to reduce pollution in the river and in the midst of their activism, extend helping hands to those living in the area.
Along the trail, several tents are set up beneath a bridge providing shelter to the homeless people living there.
"It wasn't that bad. It could've been worse," said Timothy Brown when asked about spending the night outside during the storm on Sunday night.
Brown has lived by the river for nine years.
He and the others living at the preserve have seen worse weather there, but say the rain soaked them the entire evening.
"I mean, all my stuff got wet. It was soaked from the rain. So last night I didn't even sleep at all. I just kind of kept them warm by warming up blankets and trying to dry my clothes," said Brown.
No one by the river was surprised to hear about 13 people who were rescued from the river just down the road amid the storm, saying the area under the Morena Boulevard Bridge always floods.
