Several local organizations announced funds on Thursday to assist those impacted by Monday’s heavy rains and flooding.
In another major development, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria spoke to the White House in an attempt to secure federal disaster relief funds. Gloria reportedly spoke with Vice-President Kamala Harris about the impacts of the severe rainfall caused by the storm that pummeled San Diego this week and devastated neighborhoods in southeastern San Diego.
“As San Diego begins to recover from an extraordinarily rare and powerful storm, it was comforting to receive Vice-President Harris’ sincere offer to be helpful in our time of need,” Gloria said. “Families in Southcrest, Mountain View, Encanto, Mount Hope and Shelltown lost their homes and their valued possessions. In many cases, their lives were forever changed in the span of 20 minutes or less.
“We are working with the state and county governments to demonstrate that we have met the thresholds to secure a federal disaster declaration so we can mobilize even more assistance that our affected communities and families desperately need,” Gloria said.
As part of a separate effort, the city is close to concluding the process of estimating financial costs due to damage to public facilities and assets. That information will be transmitted to the state Office of Emergency Services through the county of San Diego. If countywide costs to public facilities reach $15.1 million and statewide losses reach $72.7 million, the federal government can consider a disaster declaration, triggering financial assistance to reimburse the city for repairs.
Elsewhere, the San Diego Foundation announced it has coordinated with the county of San Diego to launch the San Diego Flood Response Fund to rapidly deploy flexible resources into the community.
“This week’s 100-year flood left many residents without homes, clothing or food,” said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of the San Diego Foundation. “San Diegans care about each other. In times of great need, they step up to give a hand to their neighbors and their community. We urge all San Diegans to donate so we can quickly get funds to the nonprofit organizations helping those with urgent needs.”
The fund will receive donations and make emergency grants to nonprofit service organizations engaged in disaster response and relief, a statement from the foundation read. The foundation said it would match donations up to $100,000, with 100% of donations going toward nonprofits helping San Diegans impacted by the flood. Donations can be made online here.
Small businesses in San Diego organizing their own relief efforts
Yesica Cerda, the manager at Nova 33 wedding event venue in Southcrest, said the flooding caused a delayed electrical fire Wednesday night. It took the power with it and $70,000 in damages.
“We weren’t counting on that, but we’d already announced that we were going to help and people were expecting us to help them bring food and stuff,” Cerda said.
At 8 a.m. Thursday, the team returned with propane tanks. Using only the light from outside to guide them, they cooked free meals for neighbors in recovery.
Cerda also collected nonperishables, blankets and clothing to donate.
In Logan Heights, Performance Drywall Group Co-owner Claudia Moreno organized another clothing and food drive.
Flooding hasn’t affected her, which is why she said she and her husband felt more compelled to step up.
Cerda and Moreno’s efforts met up on Beta street.
Cerda’s team delivered free quesadillas and homestyle potatoes to other people recovering from Monday’s flood, even though she’s a flood victim herself.
Once everyone’s basic needs are met, Moreno and her team’s next goal is to help rebuild. She started a GoFundMe to raise money for materials. Once they have that, her team can get to work for free.
“First, we have to let it air dry and then install the drywall,” Moreno said, “then do the texture and all that.”
Ivonne Meza is a flood victim who lives in Oceanview. She said her family didn’t know what to do since they don’t have flood coverage on their home.
“I am very thankful for everybody,” Meza said. “It’s like they always say: I need to have it. And the saying in Spanish, ‘Hoy por ti; mañana por mí’ saying, ‘Today, me; tomorrow, it could be you,’ And them helping, everybody else helping, family, friends, coming over and calling…. It means a lot to us.”
The city and county of San Diego, along with Gov. Gavin Newsom, have declared a state of emergency regarding the flooding. Damages will be in the millions of dollars; many San Diegans, maybe hundreds, are without homes. Some of the most acute flooding and damage occurred in southeastern San Diego communities, including Mountain View, Southcrest, Logan Heights and Encanto.
The county of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce will provide grant funding and technical assistance to businesses affected by the recent flooding in San Diego City Council’s District 4, which encompasses most of southeast San Diego, including Encanto, Mountain View, Skyline and Lincoln Park.
“We understand the devastating impact that the recent flooding has had on businesses in District 4, and we are committed to providing immediate support to help them recover and rebuild,” said Donna DeBerry, president and CEO of the CSDBCC. “Based on the numerous requests from our local businesses in need in Southeast San Diego, we know that there is a desperate need for financial help.”
CSDBCC encourages local businesses in District 4 that have been affected by the flooding to apply for grant funding and technical assistance through this link.
Here’s how to help San Diegans affected by January’s storm
A storm so rare it is categorized as a 1,000-year event devasted at least 400 homes and hundreds more vehicles across San Diego County.
Some of the most heartbreaking stories have emerged from the hard-hit Southeast San Diego, where roads turned into rivers and homes were overtaken by floodwaters. In the days that followed, mud caked the streets, water floodlines inside homes showed how high the water rose, and residents worked day and night to move their damaged goods to the curb.
The map above from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shows how widespread the damage was.
San Diegans less affected by the storm may be looking for ways to help their vulnerable neighbors. NBC 7 has compiled a list of groups and organizations that are finding ways to contribute:
San Diego County Flood Response Fund
The county has established a fund to help San Diegans affected by the Jan. 22 storm. The funding will go toward emergency grants for nonprofit organizations that are engaged in disaster response, according to the county.
The county worked in collaboration with the San Diego Foundation, which has offered to match donations up to $100,000.
“100% of donations to the San Diego Flood Response Fund will go toward nonprofits helping San Diegans impacted by the flood,” the county said. ” he San Diego Flood Response Fund does not grant directly to individuals or families, but to the nonprofit organizations that serve individuals and families.”
Financial donations can be made online here. Checks can also be made or delivered through transfer funds. Learn more here.
GoFundMe
GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform, has created a webpage that gathers verified fundraisers related to the winter storms. To find people in San Diego affected by flooding, use the “search fundraisers” bar and type “San Diego” to narrow the search.
GoFundMe said it has a dedicated “Trust & Safety” team to verify the authenticity of fundraisers on this page, which will be updated as the days go on.
Red Cross San Diego Storm Response
The Red Cross is aiding San Diegans who were displaced by the storm. The agency does not have a need for donated items but accepts monetary donations to help their efforts to provide care to the newly unsheltered.
“Donations of clothing and household items divert resources away from our mission — whereas financial donations can be used right away to directly help those affected, such as replacing lost items like prescription medications or reading glasses, the agency said.
Donations will go to help affected people by providing shelter, meals, supplies, emotional support and more.
Visit redcross.org or call 800-RED CROSS to donate.
San Diego County Humane Society
The humane society is providing aid to animals at Red Cross shelters. Similarly to the Red Cross, the humane society is asking for monetary donations so it can continue ikts efforts to aid those affected. Donate here.
