San Diego was hit Monday by a barrage of a Pacific front, surprising the city despite the prospect of rain as the third of three Pacific storms to hit the West Coast since Friday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) declared Monday the “rainiest January day on record for San Diego” after a third storm, which was forecast to be stronger, hit California’s largest city.
Tijuana and northern Baja California experienced severe flooding that led to the rescue of at least eight migrants by United States Customs and Border Protection agents and San Diego Fire Department first responders, NBC News reported.
Naval Base San Diego experienced late morning flooding due to a heavy rainfall cell, effectively closing several streets and Interstate 15 leading to Las Vegas.
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Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency “due to extreme rainfall and flash flooding” and urged residents and visitors to stay off the roads. La Mesa and Spring Valley schools will be closed Tuesday.
Monday’s storm turned counterclockwise off the coast and hit northern Baja California, giving San Diego a nice but still strong blow, NWS meteorologist Brandt Maxwell said.
Maxwell noted that Monday’s storm was packed with a long tail current, a strong atmospheric river, unstable air and a combination of warmer and cooler climates, with the only missing element being high winds.
Maxwell said precipitation in San Diego has been below normal this season, but one storm brought it slightly above normal for the year. The city is halfway through its rainy season with an average annual rainfall of nearly 10 inches.
