San Diego County estimates $90M in damage from last storm as next approaches

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has voted 4-1 to spend $10 million to assist recovery efforts from the Jan. 22 rainstorm that caused considerable damage to homes in the San Diego region, as residents continue to recover and rebuild with another storm on the way.

Supervisors also approved an eviction moratorium at their meeting Tuesday, and adopted a resolution vowing to rebuild damaged buildings. Residential evictions without just cause will be prohibited, along with a delay in certain residential rent increases.

Initial damage from last week's storm was estimated at $90 million across the region, and $4.1 million for the county itself. The $10 million in relief will come from the evergreen component of the American Rescue Plan Act, officials said.

Tuesday's vote came as another storm is forecasted in the San Diego region. Showers are expected to begin Wednesday night and continue through Friday, with a chance of heavy rain hitting Thursday.

During a public comment period, 11 residents urged supervisors to approve more money to help them and their neighbors rebuild. Two opponents said the proposal was far too broad.

Supervisor Joel Anderson was the lone no vote, saying that while he wanted to help those struggling, he needed more details on all 13 recommendations in the board letter issued by Montgomery Steppe and Vargas.

What was approved?

Vargas -- who made the proposal along with her colleague Monica Montgomery Steppe -- said the county has a responsibility to focus not just on storm recovery, but to help people rebuild. She said those most impacted by the torrential rain are living in neighborhoods south of Interstate 8 and have been neglected for decades, "and that's not OK."

According to board Chairwoman Nora Vargas' office, approved recommendations include:

• authorizing the Purchasing and Contracting director to amend contracts with Arbor E&T, the Legal Aid Society of San Diego and Hagerty Consulting to provide additional services;
• directing Sarah Aghassi, interim chief administrative officer, to work with community members on a plan to avoid "unjust evictions," and provide rental or other assistance to storm victims;
• a resolution that allows for the rebuilding of structures in unincorporated areas that experienced storm damage and are eligible for permit fee waivers;
• directing Aghassi to report back within 60 days on strengthening regional emergency management capabilities;
• authorizing the interim CAO to seek reimbursement from federal, state or other resources for county emergency relief; and
• directing county departments to find opportunities to help communities and report back to the board for additional action on any identified items.

Brian Albright of the county Land Use & Environment Group said crews will continue to clean storm drains and prepare facilities ahead of the next wave of rain.

"Our teams are focused on ensuring that unincorporated communities are prepared for the next potential wave of storms this week and beyond," he said. "It's definitely an all hands on deck effort."

According to a county report, three deaths possibly connected to last week's storm are under investigation.

What is the county doing to prepare?

Montgomery Steppe said the majority of District 4, which she represents, is within San Diego city limits. She added that impacted neighborhoods have also been harmed by "redlining" --  a practice where certain neighborhoods don't receive the same amount of services, due to discrimination -- and climate change.

Wednesday, "we have an opportunity to begin a process where we tell that story, and then we do something about it," Montgomery Steppe said.

She added that those residents are trying to survive a traumatic situation "by no fault of their own," and invited critics of the support package to tour the affected neighborhoods.

The dissenting vote

Anderson said his office received the proposal Monday, and that Tuesday's special meeting was his only forum to have questions answered. He said he would take as much time as needed to get answers, so he could vote yes.

"I'm not on your timetable, I'm on the peoples' timetable," he told Vargas. Anderson also said the county should not be responsible for infrastructure problems in cities.

In a statement released following the vote, Anderson said, "Having lived through the aftermath of many natural disasters in the backcountry, my constituents and I know that disaster relief and recovery should solve problems. I appreciate my colleague's spirit of wanting to meet the needs of their communities with such urgency, and I support actions that would provide meaningful, immediate relief to victims' including rental assistance. I wanted to be able to vote yes on today's motion; however, it included fundamental changes to the county's role in regional disaster response that I believe should have had a more thoughtful conversation to ensure equitable responsibility for each jurisdiction involved in relief and recovery efforts."

Supervisor Jim Desmond echoed Anderson's concerns about the county taking on the burden of city infrastructure issues and suggested help for municipalities come in the form of a loan.

"I'll vote in favor of this item today, but I really do think we gotta look at other cities and jurisdictions taking on their own responsibilities," Desmond added.

Desmond, who said his thoughts were with flooding victims, also mentioned that landlords have suffered economic damage from the recent storms, and should be included in the conversation.