Last weekend’s record rainfall is another indicator that El Niño may be ahead.
It’s been more than a decade since the last strong El Niño hit our area. So is San Diego County any better prepared now?
Six counties statewide, including San Diego, are now under a state of emergency following mudslides and flash floods caused by the weekend storms.
In February 1998, La Jolla flooded. Asphalt washed away in Oceanside, the Del Mar Fairgrounds was under water and mud slides damaged homes in Del Cerro.
A local geologist said a lot has changed since past El Niños.
“Insurance companies have rewritten the rules, and engineering and geology firms have gotten wiser about how they develop,” Pat Abbott said.
Still, Abbott said Southern California’s hilly terrain can’t be changed and if San Diego does see a strong El Niño, he would be shocked if we don’t see some flooding, mud slides and damage.
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Still, he said: “We are far better prepared with the lessons from the early 80s and the lessons from the 90s, but that doesn’t mean the danger is gone,” Abbott said.
