San Diego County was under a state of emergency Tuesday following a series of powerful and deadly storms that left a trail of damage from the U.S. -Mexico border to Camp Pendleton.
A sudden burst of hail fell across central San Diego just before 11 a.m. NBC 7 users sent in dozens of videos and images showing the collection of hail on cars and along Interstate 8 near Interstate 15. See video sent to us from Spring Valley here.
In the East County, a fresh blanket of snow fell early Tuesday, creating treacherous conditions for drivers. The National Weather Service is forecasting one to two inches of fresh snow for communities like Julian and Pine Valley.
The snow was beautiful but it was causing delays for drivers on I-8, Brawley resident Charles McWhorter said.
“It’s more like ice,” McWhorter said. He saw two drivers end up off the highway.
One collision happened just before 8 a.m. along westbound I-8 at Ribbonwood in Boulevard. Emergency personnel rescued a person trapped inside the vehicle and transported the crash victim to a nearby hospital.
Campo resident Stacy Richardson didn't like the conditions on I-8 so she decided to pull off and wait it out.
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"It was a little treacherous to try and navigate the freeway so we decided not to do that and to just check out the snow," Richardson said.
Chains were required for vehicles along Sunrise Highway near Mount Laguna summit.
In Pine Valley, east of San Diego, CHP officials shut down eastbound Interstate 8 at Crestwood Avenue due to jack-knifed big rig early Tuesday. The route was reopened just before 7 a.m.
There have been at least two deaths in San Diego County related to the storms.
Roland Phillips, 75, was swept away by rising waters in Rainbow creek Sunday. A child, identified by family members as 5-year-old Phillip Campbell, is believed to have been with Phillips when he was killed. Search and rescue crews plan to look for the child again Tuesday.
Adriana Toro, 23, was swept away by powerful waves while she was walking along the surf near Santa Cruz Avenue and Bacon Street Saturday evening.
A series of powerful storms has caused damage throughout California and prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency for 50 counties.
The declaration allows county officials to help secure funding for communities to respond and recover.
Here's a look at rain totals over the last six days:
Palomar Mountain: 10.91"
Fallbrook: 6.07"
Kearny Mesa: 3.20"
San Ysidro: 2.56"
Borrego Springs: 2.07"
After several days of flooding, Vandegrift Blvd reopened Tuesday in all directions, according to officials on Camp Pendleton. Cristianitos Road was still closed from State Park to San Mateo Road along with Del Mar Beach, officials said.
San Diego Police officials report the following road closures: Carroll Canyon Road, Airway Drive,Camino de la Reina under State Route 163, Fashion Valley Road at Riverwalk Drive, Avenido Del Rio at Riverwalk Drive as well as San Diego Mission Road.
More rain and isolated thunderstorms were expected throughout the day along with colder temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. Check NBC 7’s forecast here.
Four local school districts remain closed Tuesday including Julian Union and Julian Union High School District, Spencer Valley School District and Warner Springs Unified.
The Julian Union School District, Julian Union High School District, Spencer Valley School District, and Warner Springs Unified School District will have a late start on Wednesday.
Make sure to download NBC 7’s free news app. Weather alerts, like flood advisories warnings are issued through the app. There is also a local, interactive radar.
[G] Rain, Wind Descend on San Diego County
Travel through the Tejon Pass was expected to be delayed because of a continued dusting of snow.
To the north, officials warn of continuing avalanche danger at all elevations of the Sierra Nevada.
