When it rains in San Diego, one thing is certain: potholes.
As of Wednesday, the City of San Diego has received more than 1,600 reports of potholes through the Get It Done app. They added that they usually see around 200 reports, but the recent severe weather has made that number much higher.
“One pothole hit was $4,200 worth of work. [We] got the car fixed, but you know [the driver] was without his car for over a week between insurance claims and waiting for approval and parts,” said Chris Keefer, the owner of Independent Motorcar in Miramar.
Keefer said not only do potholes sometimes cause flat tires, but it also wreaks havoc on the car’s suspension, wheel bearings, shocks and more. All of that damage could mean time and money spent in a repair shop.
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“It’s just a plethora of things that one impact will have a chain reaction to other components of the car,” said Keefer.
Not only does he know about the horror stories from his customers, but he has also dealt with the potholes himself.
“Two days ago, myself, even though I’m a mechanic, hit a pothole pretty bad,” said Keefer. “It was dark, I was on the 805 entrance from Miramar Road and it left me on the side of the road with two potentially broken wheels and definitely two flat tires."
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It’s an experience that is all too familiar for San Diegans right now. NBC 7 spotted several large potholes along Miramar Road near Independent Motorcar. While most drivers were able to safely avoid them, some weren’t so lucky.
The City of San Diego said in a media release sent to NBC 7 they have approximately 150 people dedicated to fixing the potholes throughout the city. They explained that crews work in pairs of two, and can fill around 10 to 15 potholes each day. However, the weather needs to be dry, so the possibility of upcoming showers could put a damper on the fixes.
If you see non-emergency potholes near you, the City of San Diego asks that you submit a photo, location and description to Get It Done.
