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Politics

City Council And Board Of Supervisors Address Rainstorm Emergencies

The San Diego City Council and county Board of Supervisors today unanimously ratified separate declarations of local emergencies due to millions of dollars in damage resulting from the rainstorms of the past few weeks.

The panels were required to ratify the declarations before funds could be sought from state and federal governments.

Donna Faller of the city's Homeland Security Department said the preliminary damage estimate in San Diego was between $3 million and $6 million.

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Flooding swamped the parking lot and playing field of Qualcomm Stadium a day before the Poinsettia Bowl college football game and affected part of the parking lot again for the Holiday Bowl, and also caused damage along Chollas Creek, Alvarado Creek and in the Sorrento Valley.

The county estimated damage at $6 million, half of that to railroad tracks.

State and federal emergency officials arrive in San Diego on Wednesday to evaluate the damage, Faller said.

Any funding that results from the declarations will reimburse the city and county for damages, but residents and private businesses are not eligible unless the damage totals are much larger.

Members of the City Council urged residents to inform officials of any damage they sustained.

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They also asked residents to call the Street Department, at (619) 527-7500, with the location of any potholes that need to be filled.

Council President Tony Young congratulated city workers on their response to the storms.

"You guys were incredible," Young said. "All of you did us proud."