More than 60 people were stranded when the water surrounded their hotel in Mission Valley. San Diego Fire-Rescue crews helped remove the hotel guests one or two at a time by raft.
Premier Inns is located on Hotel Circle Place, north of Interstate 8 and southwest of Fashion Valley Mall.
Firefighters helped 62 adults, three children, two dogs and one cat make it to higher ground.
It's just one in a series of rescues in the last 24 hours since a powerful winter storm soaked the region. The record rainfall pushed the San Diego River to overflow where it's designed to in Mission Valley.
Despite road barricades and warnings, several people needed to be rescued from the river.
Local
Someone called 911 just after 6 a.m. to report a man was clinging to a fence along Camino de la Reina, north of Interstate 8 in the Mission Valley area.
San Diego police said the man had been fishing when he was swept off his feet by the rushing water.
The man, described by police as 60 to 70 years old, was stranded in an area that has been flooded since Monday afternoon.
Hours earlier, a man was in the same area trapped and calling for help. The swift water rescue team heard the man's cries for help and located him hanging onto a tree.
They successfully reached him by raft just before midnight. He was drenched as he walked up a set of stairs after the rescue.
The added rainfall caused creeks to fill with water and some small river flooding, including the San Diego River.
The San Diego River was expected to notch its third highest flood level since record keeping began. The river measured 13 feet 3 inches high at 9 p.m., but was expected to swell by another foot over the next few hours and crest at 14 feet 3 inches around 1 a.m. NWS records show the last time the river topped 14 feet was back in 2010.
There is a slight chance of showers mostly over and along the western edges of the mountains Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
"We are drying behind the storm. Nothing but a few clouds over our mountains," NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said. "We will be cold but mostly sunny once the sun rises."
Several communities across San Diego County lost power amid heavy rainfall.
San Diego Gas & Electric reports severe weather caused a problem in the electric system for customers in Spring Valley, Borona/El Capitan, Clairemont/Linda Vista/Mission Valley, Old Town/Mission Hills/Hillcrest and Bay Park/Morena. The utility hoped to have service restored as of 9 a.m.
Other outages are being investigated in Encinitas/Cardiff/Olivenhain, Rancho Santa Fe, Oceanside/San Luis Rey, La Jolla/Soledad Mountain, Torrey Pines/Sorrento Valley/University City, Borrego Springs, Jamacha and West Jamul.
According to San Diego police, the following streets are experiencing flooding as of Tuesday morning:
- Old Milky Wy @ San Pasquall Valley Rd.
- 13380 Highland Valley Rd.
- Hazard Center Dr. @Mission Center Rd.
- 2000 Camino del Este
- 2000 Qualcomm Wy
- Friars Rd @ Qualcomm Wy
- 10900 San Diego Misson Rd.
- Ward Rd. @Camino del Rio North
- 2400 Hotel Circle North
- Avenida Del Rio @Camino de la Reina
- Fashion Valley Rd @ Riverwalk Dr.
- 7007 Friars Rd.
- 2505 Hotel Circle Pl
- 1150 Fashion Valley Rd.
- 5200 Gaines
- Barnett Av @Pacific Hy
- Airway Rd @La Media
- 2000 Saturn Blvd.
- Aldine Dr. @ Monroe Ave.
- 11100 Roselle St
- Carmel Mtn Rd. @Sorrento Valley Rd.
- Dunhill St. @Roselle St.
- 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd.
The San Diego County Department of Public Works reported flooding on Country Club Road in the Harmony Grove area and on Lemon Crest Drive, between Wintergardens Boulevard and Riverview Avenue, in Lakeside. Willow Glen Rd was reopened between Steel Canyon and Hillsdale overnight.
In the Fallbrook area, De Luz Road was closed at De Luz Murrieta due to flooding.
The Fashion Valley transit center has been closed to all bus traffic, according to the San Diego MTS.
The highest San Diego River level ever recorded was 19 feet 3 inches in 1916, while the second-highest level was 16 feet 3 inches in 1980.
