Winter storm exposes San Diego's stormwater infrastructure crisis

A winter storm swept through San Diego County this week, with intense winds, lightning and enough rain to nearly match the city's average annual precipitation, renewing questions about whether the city's stormwater infrastructure can keep up.

Ocean waves climbed to the nine-to-12-foot range at local beaches, accelerating erosion along coastal bluff and increasing the risk of rock and mudslides. By 3 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 17, San Diego had recorded 8.94 inches of precipitation since the rainy season began Oct. 1. The second wave was expected to push that total to 9.79 inches, which is about what the city averages in an entire year.

On Jan. 22, 2024, flooding devastated communities across the city, hitting working-class neighborhoods in the Chollas Creek watershed especially hard. Thousands of residents were displaced. Many have not fully recovered. Nearly 2,000 are suing the city in more than 50 lawsuits, arguing that years of neglect of storm channels made the disaster inevitable.

Since the 2024 flooding, the city's Stormwater Department has cleared channels and performed repeated maintenance on segments in Southcrest and Mountainview that were overwhelmed during the disaster. But a newly released city report shows how wide the gap remains between what the system needs and what the city can fund.

The city's Five-Year Capital Infrastructure Planning Outlook for fiscal years 2026-2030, released in February 2025, projects $11.87 billion in total infrastructure needs over the next five years. The city expects to have $5.36 billion available, leaving a $6.51 billion gap. Stormwater infrastructure represents the largest single share of that shortfall.

Nearly half of the city's storm channel segments and related infrastructure, including in the Los Peñasquitos, San Diego River and Tijuana River watersheds, have gone without maintenance for at least 15 years, according to city records. The federal government recently announced more than $4 million for drainage improvements in the Beta Street and Chollas Creek area.

The problem is structural. Unlike water and wastewater systems, which ratepayer fees sustain, stormwater infrastructure has no dedicated revenue stream. It competes for limited general funds and grant dollars against roads, fire stations, libraries and every other capital need the city carries.