San Diego County could see dry Friday after heavy rains flood roads, force rescues

San Diego County is expected to start drying out Friday, one day after widespread heavy rains flooded roads and forced rescues of a dozen people from rising flood waters around the region.

By the time skies were clearing late Thursday, records for New Year’s Day rainfall totals had been broken from San Diego to Chula Vista to El Cajon, and wide swaths of the county had been soaked with more than 2 inches in as many days.

In San Diego, a lifeguard team came to the aid of an adult and a child trapped in a car at the Fashion Valley mall, said Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Candace Hadley, who was at the scene.

That rescue was one of 10 across the city Thursday, she said. Among the others was a helicopter rescue of a woman who was swept away trying to cross a flooded area while out walking with her husband near Lake Hodges.

Many areas — including downtown San Diego, Mission Valley, Alpine, Poway and Escondido — were drenched Thursday with more than 2 inches in just 12 hours, at a rate National Weather Service meteorologist Philip Gonsalves called “pretty remarkable.”

By Thursday evening, nearly 2.5 inches of rain had been recorded over a two-day period at the San Diego airport, which typically averages less than 2 in the month of January. National City had recorded 2.73 inches, Chula Vista 1.61 inches, Escondido 2.3 inches, La Mesa 2.78 inches and Poway just over 2 inches.

Palomar Observatory recorded the highest totals — well over 5 inches — while coastal North County cities were spared, with just about 1 inch over the two days.

Throughout the day, flooding closed an onramp to state Route 78 in Oceanside, snarled commutes on Interstate 5 around Del Mar and forced road closures and detours in the Mile of Cars area in National City.

The rain slowed Interstate 15 traffic when a tractor-trailer hydroplaned, crashed and jack-knifed. And San Diego activated its inclement weather program for homeless shelters for the second day in a row, boosting capacity.

By midday, the worst of the rain was over, and showers were tapering off Thursday night. Friday is expected to bring only “on-and-off light showers, if anything,” said NWS meteorologist Stephanie Sullivan.

But forecasters warned the San Diego River could remain above flood stage in Fashion Valley into midday.

“We had some fairly intense rainfall that was more or less concentrated right in Mission Valley, essentially covering most of the San Diego River basin,” Gonsalves said. “That caused the river to rise rapidly.”

The weekend could bring more chances of light to moderate showers across the county. Sullivan said another storm system could drop more rain Saturday. “There’s just a lot less moisture with that system,” she added.

That rain isn’t expected to contribute to coastal flooding, even as the last king tides of the season arrive Friday and Saturday.

Another pair of weather systems coming in from the Gulf of Alaska could bring more precipitation Sunday and Monday. “At this point, none of them look particularly heavy,” Sullivan said.

Hadley cautioned that despite clearing skies, some roads remained flooded. She urged drivers not to cross even partially flooded roads. Anyone whose car gets stuck should stay put, call 9-1-1 and wait for help.