SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The second of three storms set to move through San Diego this weekend hit the region Saturday afternoon with heavy rain and high winds.
Showers started early for some parts of the county with the bulk of the rain beginning between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the coast and moving inland from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
One to 2 inches of rainfall are expected for San Diego's coast and inland valleys, 2 to 4 inches are expected in the mountains, and a half to 1.5 inches are forecasted for the deserts. The highest rain totals are expected in North San Diego County.
With the heavy rain come high winds and surf as well. Flooding, flash flooding, and elevated river and stream flows are expected for some areas. Wind gusts could also reach 25 to 35 mph in most areas, with peak gusts of 45 mph for the coast and valleys and more than 60 mph in the mountains.
FORECAST:
Waves could reach 12 feet Saturday, with surf remaining elevated through Sunday.
Snow levels will be at about 6,000 feet on Saturday, dropping to 5,000 feet Saturday night. One to 3 inches of snow could accumulate on the highest parts of Mt Laguna and Palomar Mountain into Sunday.
STORM WARNINGS
Downed trees will be a concern as well. A large eucalyptus tree fell just feet away from homes in Escondido Friday, likely due to the rain accumulated by the first storm.
The storm surge along the coast could bring more damage to coastal homes and the Ocean Beach Pier.
Flooding in low-lying areas on the coast is possible. Last December, several buildings in National City were flooded and sustained heavy damages. Sandbag locations around the county are available here.
POWER OUTAGES
More than 3,600 people across San Diego County lost power Saturday afternoon, according to San Diego Gas and Electric.
About 450 people in Oceanside area lost power around noon., according to SDG&E's online outage map. SDG&E estimated that power would be restored to Oceanside customers by 10 p.m.
1,700 people in Vista lost power around 3:30 p.m., and about 800 customers in the Kearny Mesa area lost power around 4:30 p.m. All Vista customers had their power restored by 7:30 p.m.
Smaller outages were reported near Santa Ysabel and in Rainbow.
Crews were investigating the causes of all outages.
Stay up to date on San Diego weather alerts here
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for San Diego River at Fashion Valley, forecasting the river to crest at 11.3 feet by early Sunday. Minor flooding may occur and impact roads, including Fashion Valley Road, Avenida del Rio, Camino del Este, Camino de la Reina, and Mission Center Rd.
Minor flooding could occur in the Fashion Valley parking lot and impact Fashion Valley Transit Center as well.
Repairs to the Ocean Beach Pier will be delayed and surf could bring more damage to the pier, city officials said. The pier was damaged by high surf in January, as the force of waves splintered a portion of the pier's railing. Planks of wood ripped from the pier eventually washed onto shore.
CLOSURES
Legoland California announced it would remain closed Saturday due to the forecasted rain. Anyone with ticket to the park for Saturday are eligible to bring their ticket back for another visit within one year as part of the park's "Rainy Day Promise."
