Neighborhoods still rebuilding after January 2024 flooding swept San Diego
SAN DIEGO — It’s been four months since devastating storms tore through dozens of homes in Coronado, Spring Valley and southeast San Diego neighborhoods.
Several homes on Beta Street in Southcrest are not being lived in because they are being rebuilt. Neighbors said it has been a tough road, but they say things are slowly looking up.
“I’m beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel now,” said Greg Montoya, who has lived in his Southcrest home for 30 years.
RELATED: Drone video captures aftermath of flooding in Southcrest
Montoya is now rebuilding with the help of flood insurance after the January 22 storms left his home gutted out.
“It’s been very stressful because of the fact that I have used a lot of sick vacation time at work.,” Montoya explained. “After work — rush here to get material and keep moving.”
The January 22 storms flooded the Chollas Creek, which is located behind Montoya’s home. Quickly after the creek flooded, all the homes on Beta Street were under 5 or even 6 feet of water.
“It was traumatizing to all the residents, and it’s going to be a trauma that lasts for years,” Montoya continued.
“It’s depressing and shocking going through this whole thing,” said Richard Corpus, another home owner on Beta Street who was also impacted by the flooding.
Corpus lives a few houses down from Montoya. Corpus’ house is down to the studs with approximately $150,000 in damages, he told FOX 5/KUSI.
However, Corpus said without flood insurance the future of his home is uncertain.
“Thank God we had some volunteers go in there and tear out some of the walls in there, which is good because I don’t have money to repair the house,” he said. “I’m just trying to survive with the little money I have.”
”The reason the flood happened was because they (San Diego) ignored this area. They don’t give the resources that are needed, even though they received numerous reports about storm system being inadequate,” Montoya said.
Montoya and Corpus have been living in hotels for the past four months. The two homeowners and more than 300 people are part of a $100 million lawsuit against the City of San Diego. The suit alleges the city failed to maintain and increase funding for stormwater infrastructure.
Click here to read the lawsuit.
However, neighbors want the city to act now, ahead of the next rain.
“My main concern is the city will forget about us and not continue to do the maintenance that they are supposed to do to keep this area clean,” Montoya said.
Montoya has successfully sued the city in the past over the 2018 flooding. Montoya said he and the city came to a settlement.
The lawsuit’s lead attorney, Evan Walker, said there are more people signing onto the lawsuit and there is still time for flood survivors to join on, for now. Click here to learn more or to contact Walker.
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