San Diego, CA

Will disastrous flooding force San Diego to finally fix its storm drains?

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Will disastrous flooding force San Diego to finally fix its storm drains?

Hundreds of San Diegans are assessing the damage caused by Monday’s flash floods, which washed away cars, caused a sinkhole in Miramar and blanketed homes and streets in Southcrest with mud and debris.

The intense rainfall in the span of just a few hours laid bare the longstanding inadequacies of San Diego’s stormwater infrastructure. And it provided a glimpse into the future, when climate change is likely to hit low-income communities of color the hardest.

For decades, politicians and bureaucrats have swept the stormwater problem under the rug. Major storms are still relatively rare, and surface-level infrastructure needs like potholes tend to draw the most attention from constituents.

The result is a staggering $1.6 billion in unfunded needs for the stormwater system. That deficit has more than doubled in the past five years. It’s now larger than the unfunded needs of the city’s roads, sidewalks and streetlights combined.

But as San Diego tries to prepare itself for more extreme and unpredictable weather, the recent floods could force the city to finally make long-term fixes to its network of stormwater channels a top priority.

Cars drive by mud and pools of water following Monday’s storm. San Diego, Calif. Jan. 23, 2024.

What are stormwater channels?

A stormwater channel is a fancy urban planning term for a river or stream. Some are lined in concrete while others are more natural looking and full of vegetation. They can be exposed to daylight or run underground in tunnels.

Many of San Diego’s underground channels were built more than 50 years ago and have reached the end of their useful life. The city’s Stormwater Department is trying to replace or repair them proactively and does regular inspections to see which ones have the most urgent needs.

But the stormwater system is so vast that officials don’t always know which parts are the closest to collapse. The Stormwater Department also doesn’t have enough staff or funding to inspect and fix all the channels in a timely manner.

That means often, underground channels fall apart unexpectedly and the city has to do emergency repairs — like they’re currently doing on Miramar Road. Those are more expensive, and they require diverting resources from proactive repair projects, which have to wait longer to get funding. This is why the backlog of repairs has gotten so much worse in recent years.

Debris left over from Monday's storm is seen on this photo taken Jan. 23, 2024. San Diego, Calif. — Debris left over from Monday’s storm is seen on this photo taken Jan. 23, 2024. San Diego, Calif.

Why are stormwater channels so hard to fix?

Repairing underground stormwater channels requires digging with heavy machinery — and doing so carefully to avoid damaging water, sewer and electrical infrastructure. These projects require a high level of skill and expertise, so the city has to offer competitive wages to recruit the laborers and engineers who can get the job done safely.

The channels that are exposed to daylight are difficult to maintain for different reasons. These are often naturally occurring creeks and streams and provide habitat for native species. If the city wants to clear them out so water can flow through more quickly, it needs permits from outside agencies, such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Securing those permits takes years. Sometimes permits require the city to purchase land elsewhere and relocate the vegetation they remove from the channel to ensure there is no net loss of native habitat.

Tom Snyder, director of the city’s Stormwater Department, told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday that San Diego has about 200 segments of flood control channels and the resources to do maintenance on about four of them each year.

“We prioritize those channels and maintain the ones that we can,” Snyder said. “But a lot of things have to align in order for that to happen.”

Marlene Sanchez-Barriento salavages items behind her home damaged by flooding, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in. Sanchez-Barriento's home was damaged when flood waters rushed though her home on Monday, Jan. 22. — Marlene Sanchez-Barriento salavages items behind her home damaged by flooding, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in. Sanchez-Barriento’s home was damaged when flood waters rushed though her home on Monday, Jan. 22.

Why doesn’t the city spend more on stormwater infrastructure?

San Diego could increase funding for stormwater channel maintenance — but doing so would require taking money away from other infrastructure needs like parks, libraries, fire stations, homeless shelters or road repair. The decision on where and how to spend infrastructure dollars is part of the city’s annual budgeting process and involves negotiations between the mayor and City Council.

A report in 2018 from the Office of the City Auditor recommended the city explore ways to increase funding for stormwater infrastructure through a new tax or fee. In 2022, the Stormwater Department finalized its response to the audit, floating a tax of 4 to 5 cents per square foot of impermeable surface on a property. That would scale the tax to the amount of stormwater that runs off a property, while exempting areas where the water can be absorbed into the earth. The tax would cost the typical single-family home in San Diego between $128 and $160 per year.

The city commissioned a poll and found a majority of voters would approve such a tax. But these kinds of taxes require a two-thirds majority in California, and the poll found support was teetering on that threshold.

In 2022 the city received a sizable loan from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to fund stormwater infrastructure repairs. The loan could infuse the Stormwater Department with up to $359.2 million in new money.

But even with that extra funding, the city’s stormwater needs still dwarf the available resources. An infrastructure planning report this month found total stormwater needs over the next five years are at least $2.2 billion, and that it expects to take in only about $572 million in revenue. That leaves a funding gap of $1.6 billion, making stormwater the largest unfunded need in the whole city.

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San Diego, CA

Joan Endres – San Diego Union-Tribune

Published

2 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Joan Endres

OBITUARY

Born January 1939 in Cincinnati Ohio. Died February 14, 2026, in San Diego, California, with her sons at her side. Her beloved husband Dean passed away in 2010.

Joan was the only child of Thomas and Edna Palmer. In 1943, the family moved to San Diego, where Joan graduated from Helix High School in 1956.

In 1957 Joan married Dean Endres of San Diego, where they raised two sons. Joan followed her two great passions outside the home, the Arts, and Gardening. Both activities being a way to bring beauty to others and to the community.

Joan received a degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University, and afterwords worked at UCSD, for the Campus Architect.

As an artist, Joan worked in various media, especially ceramics. She was active in many cultural and arts organizations, eventually becoming President of the Combined Organization for the Visual Arts (COVA). Later she turned to gardening, with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca Community College and the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.

Joan is survived by her son Jeff and wife Katrin, grandson Jackson, and son Todd Endres, all of La Mesa, and sisters Alice Buck of Phoenix, Elaine Kennedy of San Diego, Nancy and husband Don Jones of Vista, Eva Budzinski of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and their children and grandchildren.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Joan in the near future. Those who wish to attend should contact celebratejoanuvart@gmail.com to receive details when they are confirmed. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a donation to the Water Conservation Garden or the Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN).

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San Diego, CA

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

Published

14 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology

The San Diego State Aztecs’ have moved off the bubble and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 64 in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology projections.

The Aztecs must feel like a yo-yo, but now it’s in a good way. Bracket expert Joe Lunardi moved them from the bottom of the First Four Out — No. 72 — to holding the Mountain West’s automatic bid after an 89-72 home romp Wednesday night over Utah State, which had held the auto-bid in bracketology for a few weeks now.

Lunardi now has the Aztecs as the No. 11 seed in the West Region, with a projected first-round date against former MW rival BYU in Portland.

Lunardi wrote that SDSU’s auto-bid “shifts the entire bubble.”

Wednesday night’s victory not only pulled the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4) into a tie with Utah State (23-5, 13-4) atop the MW standings, but it was just their second Quad 1 victory in six such opportunities.

SDSU’s next two games are both Quad 1 chances, at New Mexico on Saturday and then at Boise State on Tuesday night.

The win lifted the Aztecs only one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings, to No. 43. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.

SDSU’s resume for earning an at-large berth has been on shaky ground all season, and was seriously damaged last week when the Aztecs lost at home to Grand Canyon and were then routed at Colorado State, both Quad 2 games.

SDSU’s best bet to assure a trip to March Madness for the sixth straight season is to win the MW tournament in Las Vegas and claim the automatic bid. That requires winning three games in as many days, and perhaps a third showdown against the Aggies, who beat the Aztecs 71-66 in Logan on Jan. 31.

Lunardi now has Utah State projected as an at-large team, but still with the No. 7 seed in the East, facing No. 10 Texas A&M in a first-round game in St. Louis.

New Mexico (21-7, 12-5), lurking just a game behind SDSU and USU, has dropped from the Last Four In at No. 68 to the First Four Out at No. 70.

The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.

Saturday’s game at New Mexico is set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.

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San Diego, CA

Oregon State Dismantles San Diego 83-49

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

The top teams in the West Coast Conference are jockeying for position in the standings as the regular season draws to a close, and the Oregon State women took care of business Thursday night, blowing out the San Diego Toreros 83-49 to move to 21-9 on the season, and 13-4 in conference play.

Oregon State’s Tiara Bolden Grabs WCC Honor After 44 Points Over Two Games

The Toreros have been a basement dweller in the conference for the last few seasons, so this result isn’t surprising, though it’s magnitude is a bit eye-raising. The Beavers wasted no time putting San Diego into a hole, opening the first quarter on an 8-0 run that Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler getting involved early. Oregon State held a 14 point, 26-12 lead after one.

The second quarter wasn’t as lopsided, but San Diego wasn’t able to make much headway into the Beaver lead. Six points from Olivia Owens kept San Diego within shooting distance, but defensive pressure from Kennedie Shuler and strong rebounding from Lizzy Williamson kept the Toreros under control. Oregon State ended the first half up by 13, 40-27.

Oregon State Dominates Cougars in 79-51 Blowout

Oregon State tightened their grip in the third. While Olivia Owens and Kylie Ray managed to give the Toreros some hope early in the quarter, Oregon State went on a run late in the period to get their lead to 21 at the highest. San Diego finally snapped the Beaver hot streak, but a three from Kennedie Shuler ended the quarter in a 61-43, 18 point Beaver lead.

The bottom seemed to fall out of San Diego in the fourth, with the Toreros only putting six points on the board. Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler kept the points flowing for the Beavers, while Lizzy Willilamson continued to dominate the boards. A layup with an and one from Elisa Mehyar were the last Beaver points of the game, giving Oregon State a 34 point, 83-49 win.

Oregon State Takes Down Portland 64-54 in Season Saving Game

It was a good night for several Beavers, with Kennedie Shuler once again leading the team in scoring. She finished the night with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. She can do just about everything on the court.

Tiara Bolden continued her hot streak with a 17 point night, along with four rebounds and four assists. Jenna Villa added 14 points, one rebound and one assist. Lizzy Williamson added another double double to her resume, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Oregon State’s Winning Streak Ends With 55-51 Loss to LMU

There’s one last item on the agenda for Oregon State, a season-closing meeting with the Loyola Marymount Lions Saturday at Gill Coliseum. The Lions handed Oregon State their first WCC loss of the season back in January, so getting some revenge before the conference tournament would be a good statement from the team. Tip off is set for 1 PM PT.

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