The city of San Diego is completing a plan to prevent flooding in historically vulnerable areas. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce says the plan has to be completed before the city can get much needed federal dollars.
Whenever there's a heavy rainfall, several neighborhoods in San Diego are prone to flooding. Mission Valley, La Jolla and the Tijuana River Valley have suffered repeated flood damage. Standing near a section of Fashion Valley Road that crumbled after heavy rains two years ago, Mayor Jerry Sanders says chronic flooding costs the city money.
Sanders: When the road behind me gave way our city was forced to expend more than $1.2 million in repairs. That money was cobbled together from funds that could have been used to advance other projects.
While the city recovered that expense with federal highway money, Sanders says the urgent repairs forced the city to delay work on other projects. He says the city's final flood plan will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency next month. The plan is the last step before the city gets federal money for flood control projects. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.
Public Meetings
City officials will hold three workshops over the next two weeks to obtain comments from residents whose neighborhoods may be affected by flooding.
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Feb. 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Mission Valley Branch Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway.
- March 1 from 6-7:30 p.m. at San Ysidro Community Service Center, 663 E. San Ysidro Blvd.
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March 7 from 6-7:30 p.m. at La Jolla/Riford Branch Library, 7555 Draper Ave.
(Photo: Mayor Jerry Sanders, Fire Chief Tracy Jarman and Police Chief William Landsdowne hold a press conference near a section of a Fashion Valley Road that crumbled after heavy rains two years ago, to announce a plan to prevent chronic flooding.
Ed Joyce/KPBS
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