City of San Diego accelerates Chollas Creek emergency cleanup project ahead of next storm

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Crews from the City of San Diego’s Stormwater Department began the cleanup of debris along Chollas Creek in Southcrest early Friday morning.

City crews started the effort on 38th Street and Beta Street, and then moved up along the northeast direction of the creek.

For the city, there’s no time to waste because another storm system is expected to arrive in San Diego next week.

Although this storm is not expected to be as intense as Monday’s storm, it could still make more of a mess for the people who live near Chollas Creek if the storm drains are not unclogged before then.

In a press conference Thursday, the city’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer Kris McFadden said, “What that entails is going in and starting in Beta Street, putting in heavy equipment and removing any and all vegetation that we can. Anything that got washed in the storm drain channel. And I was there, I’ve seen what’s washed into there; it’s everything.”

This emergency cleaning project is involves the deployment of 16 teams throughout Southcrest, Mountain View, and Encanto.

City officials said its already cleaned out 1,000 tons, or 2 million pounds, of storm-related debris in other impacted areas, and identified more than 70 streets between the three neighborhoods that have debris and mud blocking streets and storm drains.

So far, the city has gotten to 16 out of the 70.

Southcrest residents and flood victims like Stephanie Threadgill said she’s been telling the city to clean the drains for years.

“We’ve been complaining and complaining for the last four years because I’ve lost two cars prior to this,” Threadgill said. “Every time we let them know the rain’s coming, the cars get filled up over the tire before anyone comes from the city to unclog the drains, it’s really bad and its getting worse.”

To see more of the city’s plan to recover from Monday’s storm, click here: https://www.sandiego.gov/storm

To report damage to your residence, click here: https://crisistrack.juvare.com/