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LIVE UPDATES: Rapidly changing weather conditions briefly included tornado warning

ABC 10News Meteorologist Megan Parry joins the Midday show to discuss the issuing of a tornado warning for parts of San Diego County early Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy rain, snow douse San Diego region
Posted at 6:12 AM, Feb 06, 2024

EVACUATION WARNINGS LIFTED IN SAN DIEGO
Today the City of San Diego lifted the evacuation warning that was issued to prepare residents in flood-prone areas for a potential evacuation order due to heavy rain forecasted for Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 5 and 6. The warning was issued to residents who live in Southcrest, Mountain View, Encanto, San Ysidro, Sorrento Valley and Mission Valley.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MOUNTAINS: San Diego County’s mountain areas were placed under a winter weather advisory through 10 p.m. Tuesday evening, with snow in the forecast.

According to the National Weather Service, snow was expected at elevations above 5,000 feet. The agency said “Heavy snow will fall through Wednesday morning, with a break in the snow expected Wednesday afternoon into the evening. Additional snow will develop Wednesday night through Thursday morning.”

After the tornado warning for south and central parts of San Diego County expired, ABC 10News went live for a special report at 12:30 p.m. to track the rapidly changing weather conditions. Meteorologist Megan Parry, forecaster Natalie Chuck and morning anchors Melissa Mecija and Jared Aarons provided updates on the developing situation.

LOCAL SCHOOLS TAKE ACTION AMID TORNADO WARNING: ABC 10News has learned all Chula Vista Elementary School District schools were placed under shelter-in-place order due to the tornado warning.

Additionally, San Diego State University advised anyone on or around campus to remain indoors.

TORNADO WARNING FOR PARTS OF COUNTY: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for the south and central parts of San Diego County.

The NWS alert initially was set to expire at 12:15 p.m., then it was extended to 12:45 p.m. for some areas. NWS ended up rescinding the warning at 12:15 p.m. as conditions changed rapidly. The following areas were impacted by the warning:

  • Bonita
  • Chula Vista
  • College East
  • Coronado
  • Crest
  • El Cajon
  • Encanto
  • Lake Murray
  • Lakeside
  • La Mesa
  • La Presa
  • Lemon Grove
  • Lincoln Park
  • Mountain View
  • National City
  • Paradise Hills
  • Rolando
  • Santee
  • Spring Valley
  • Tierrasanta

CITY SANDBAG AVAILABILITY:

FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR NORTHERN PART OF COUNTY: Just before 10 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the northwestern area of San Diego County amid a strong storm that has dropped heavy rain throughout Southern California.

Per the NWS, the flash flood warning is set to last through 1 p.m. with Oceanside the lone San Diego County area impacted as of now.

Other notable areas affected include Temecula, San Clemente, Irvine, Anaheim, and Tustin.

FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MOST OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY: Until 12:45 p.m., a flood advisory is in effect for much of San Diego County.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory due to continuous heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms for certain parts of the county.

The areas under the advisory include:

  • Chula Vista
  • Coronado
  • Del Mar
  • El Cajon
  • Encinitas
  • Imperial Beach
  • La Mesa
  • National City
  • Poway
  • Ramona

SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO CLOSED TUESDAY: Due to inclement weather, SeaWorld San Diego officials said the park would be closed on Tuesday.Officials did not say if the park would reopen on Wednesday, but they advised guests to view their "Weather-or-Not assurance" for additional information.

HEAVY RAIN LEADS TO CITY ROAD CLOSURES: The City of San Diego announced numerous road closures on Tuesday due to the heavy rainfall and potential flooding concerns.

The closures include streets along the San Diego River -- an area that has often experienced flooding during rainy conditions.

Click here for the city's full list of road closures

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The latest in a series of powerful Southern California winter storms brought rain, potential for destructive flooding and mountain snow to the already saturated San Diego area, and it is expected to bring more rain, winds and flood warnings Tuesday.

The storm, which moved over the county on Sunday, delivered widespread heavy showers, though the local downpours -- and resulting mudslides and runoff-submerged roadways -- were not as serious as those in Orange and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Due to the predicted severity of the storm, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in eight counties, including the San Diego region, over the weekend. The proclamation includes provisions authorizing a California National Guard response if needed, facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents and making it easier for out-of-state contractors and utilities to repair storm damage.

The other counties included were Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.

Over a two-day period ending late Monday afternoon, the dark bands of clouds had dropped anywhere from a hundredth of an inch to more than 3 1/2 inches across the coastal, inland-valley and mountain communities of San Diego County, the weather service reported.

Among the 48-hour precipitation tallies as of 4:15 p.m. were 3.56 inches in San Onofre; 2.49 at Palomar Observatory; 2.02 in Oceanside; 1.99 in Fallbrook; 1.56 at Rainbow Camp; 1.53 in Bonsall; 1.42 in Carlsbad; 1.23 in Vista; 0.96 in Encinitas; 0.88 in Deer Springs; 0.79 in San Marcos and Valley Center; 0.66 in Escondido and at Lake Wohlford; and 0.3 in National City.

Other rainfall totals included 0.22 in Rancho Bernardo; 0.2 at Miramar Lake; 0.17 in Flinn Springs and Point Loma; 0.13 in Mission Valley; 0.12 in Granite Hills and Kearny Mesa; 0.1 in Poway and Santee; 0.08 at Ramona Airport and San Diego International Airport; and 0.02 in Chula Vista. No precipitation was recorded in the local deserts over the period, according to the NWS.

The showers led to scattered San Diego-area road closures Monday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol, including on state Route 78 at Cloverdale Road in the San Pasqual area, due to a sinkhole; SR-78 at Emerald Drive in Vista, and the El Camino Real entrance to eastbound SR-78 in Oceanside, both for flooding; and in the 5400 block of Olive Hill Road in Bonsall, where a tree fell across traffic lanes.

San Diego Gas & Electric has increased the number of field crews and equipment available "to restore power as quickly and safely as possible should power outages occur," a statement from the utility company read.

Call 9-1-1 and SDG&E at 800-411-7343 to report downed power lines.

An NWS flood watch will be in effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday for the city of San Diego as well as the communities of Borrego Springs, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Julian, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, Pine Valley, Poway, San Marcos, Santee and Vista. Excessive runoff could result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying locations, meteorologists advised.

Forecasters also warned of the likelihood that strong winds -- from 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph in some places -- could blow away unsecured outdoor objects, snap off tree limbs and cause power outages.

Additionally, a high-surf advisory was slated to be in effect until 10 p.m. Monday, with ocean breakers from 6 to 8 feet high and sets up to 10 feet, along with a small-craft advisory from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border.

South to southeast winds will increase in intensity over the day Monday, with gusts from 25 to 30 knots, the weather service advised. The high- surf conditions are expected to decrease overnight and Tuesday.

San Diego County emergency-services and public-works officials offered the public the following storm-safety tips:

-- Avoid driving through deep water

-- Avoid oversteering or stomping on the brakes if you start to hydroplane or skid

-- Avoid texting or using a hand-held cell phone when driving

-- Slow down to avoid getting into an accident

-- Turn on your headlights to see better

-- Try to drive toward the middle lanes as water tends to gather in outside lanes

-- Defog your windows for better visibility

-- Never drive through a flooded roadway

-- Give the cars in front of you extra distance

-- Watch out for public works crews and equipment

Partly cloudy and rainy conditions are expected in the mountains until mid-week, with highs in the low 50s. Cloudy and wet conditions are expected in the deserts all week, with highs reaching the upper 50s and low 60s, according to the National Weather Service.

Along the coast, partly cloudy and heavy wet conditions are expected this week, with daytime temperatures hitting the low 60s. Inland valley areas are expected to be hit with showers through Friday, with highs reaching the mid- 50s to low 60s.

Due to potential harsh weather conditions, an emergency shelter at 2111 Pan American Plaza is open to the public and can be reached at 619-525- 8262. Services at the shelter will include places for displaced people to stay, meals, snacks, crisis counseling, help replacing medication and pet support from the San Diego Humane Society.

Alert San Diego has provided residents with all other information regarding flooding and can be found at the following links:

  • Flood preparation information;
  • Emergency information;
  • Recovery information including cleanup, medicine and additional helpful resources
  • Residents can also text HELP to 98266 to get safety information.

The United Taxi Workers of San Diego is helping impacted residents get to the temporary shelter at no charge. To schedule a ride customers can call 619-280-4444 or use the "Ride United" passenger application. Residents seeking services should provide a pick-up location and select "Balboa Park Municipal Gym" or "Mountain View Community Recreation Center" as their drop-off location, county officials said.
A temporary homeless shelter has been set up at the Balboa Park Activity Center at 16th Street and Newton Bridge Shelter.

The Department of Public Works is picking up flood-damaged debris and items from homes in the unincorporated communities. Pickup in unincorporated areas can be reached at 858-495-5700. Additional storm recovery resources can be reached by dialing 211.

The county advised against putting debris near curbs during rainy weather, where it can wash away and cause a hazard.

This week's storm comes after a spate of historically heavy downpours that left roadways, commercial districts and residential neighborhoods underwater across the region two weeks ago. The wettest day, Jan. 22, delivered the highest 24-hour rainfall amounts in San Diego since 1850, according to the NWS.

The inundation, which washed away many a parked car and heavily damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, prompted the city and county of San Diego, along with Newsom, to declare states of emergency.

Since then, authorities have been taking steps, including monitoring tens of thousands of storm drains, to prevent more storm-driven destruction, Gloria said during a recent news briefing. He urged those who live or work in flood-prone areas to remain proactively vigilant as well.

"Now is not the time to remove your sandbags," the mayor said. "We can't predict Mother Nature. She's unpredictable."

The city and the San Diego Housing Commission have opened a new 50- room shelter at a former hotel site in the Midway district to provide a refuge from those impact the recent storms.

"Providing shelter and support for our neighbors whose lives were upended by the storm is a top priority," City Council President Sean Elo- Rivera said. "These creative options were possible through collaboration between the city, county, the Housing Commission and state of California. The road ahead of us is long, but this quick and meaningful action shows that we can create creative housing solutions when we all work together."

The county's Assessor's Office, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Public Works and Department of Environmental Health and Quality will be at the City Assistance Center to provide services to those impacted by the storms.

Copyright 2024, City News Service, Inc.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. City News Service contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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