Storm Brings Rain to Drought-Stricken San Diego County

A Pacific storm is bringing a second day of much-needed rain to drought-stricken San Diego County as well as concerns about possible street flooding along the coast and mudslides in burn areas to the east.

While the region did not receive the heavy rain expected with the storm system Tuesday, it did get the amount of rain forecasted.

San Diego received a steady stream of rain that produced an inch of rain in the coastal areas with 2 inches inland. Palomar Mountain received 3 inches as of 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through 10 a.m. Thursday.

"You should take your umbrella with you because it will be scattered throughout the day today," said NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh.

Minor flooding was reported in South Mission Beach Tuesday night but given the drought no one was complaining. NBC 7’s Steven Luke reports.

Downtown Los Angeles had received 1.15 inches of rain Tuesday, breaking a 1961 record for the day, according to the weather service. More than 2 inches fell on Santa Barbara. Totals of around an inch also set daily records in Oxnard and at airports in Los Angeles, Camarillo, Long Beach, Lancaster and Palmdale.

In Northern California, nearly 1 1/2 inches fell on San Francisco, where historic cable cars and their 100-year-old braking systems had to be shut down. Stockton and San Jose also saw more than an inch.

California's drought has left the Sierra Nevada snowpack -- which counts for most of the state's water supply -- at just 24 percent of normal for this time of year.

NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh explains the rainfall totals received from Tuesday’s storm.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency in January and called on residents to reduce consumption by 20 percent.

As the storm blew in, new state data was released showing Californians aren't meeting his goal: Statewide water usage was down just 6.7 percent in October.

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