San Diego River floods during heavy rain.

It rained very heavily in San Diego today. I heard that some coastal areas received up to four inches of rain. That’s a staggering amount of water in less than 24 hours for our naturally arid climate.

Not surprisingly, many parts of the city flooded. A couple of highways partially closed. All three trolley lines had service disruptions.

Severe flooding often occurs in Mission Valley as the San Diego River rapidly swells. As you can see in my photos, that happened again.

Late this afternoon I observed two cars half underwater where Mission Center Road crosses the San Diego River. I hope those drivers are okay.

Holding my umbrella, I then walked along the leaf-strewn pathway beside the swollen river.

The above sign west of Mission Center Road explains the San Diego River’s peculiarities, and why periodic flooding is actually helpful:

A River in Flood

Under historical conditions, the seasonal variation in San Diego’s rainfall creates strong fluctuation in the amount of water flowing within the San Diego River. The low rainfall and the geologic composition allowed for the river to run below ground during much of the year; this lead to the River’s nickname, the Upside Down River.

Habitats and vegetation adapted to flooding in the winter and subsurface flow in the summer. Flooding helped restore the natural river bottom, flushed out debris, created new sand bars and kept the river healthy.

Large flooding events were common and are natural along the river course. Over time, with the construction of regional reservoirs, El Capitan in 1934 and San Vicente in 1943, these large flooding event have been reduced and flows constrained.

Every year we’re reminded: Avoid driving in flooded areas!

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