SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The storm that rang in 2026 brought back terrifying memories of the January 2024 floods that crippled plenty of communities.
Those memories became reality again for Native Poppy, a local flower company.
"So yesterday morning, January 1st, New Year's Day, our studio flooded yet again with about three feet of water,” Meg Blancato, Co-owner of Native Poppy, said.
Blancato told ABC 10News that her business partner was watching the flooding unfold in real time on their security cameras, and their husband rushed to the Mission Valley warehouse.
"In between that time that he left their house and there was a little bit of water on the floor, and he got here, it was done,” Blancato said.
The flood waters subsided, and Blancato and company are now in the clean-up stage as they’re reliving yesteryear.
"We keep saying it's like the worst kind of Déjà vu,” Blancato said. "These look like the same photos, the same day two years ago, just slightly 3 weeks apart, but, yes, it feels very, unfortunately, very similar.”
Native Poppy's Mission Valley warehouse got hit hard by the January 22nd storm in 2024.
It was a costly flood for the small business.
"It was probably closer to $75,000; $60,000 to $75,000. We think it's going to be similar to that,” Blancato said.
But they're hoping there's a silver lining this time in all the brown muck.
"The one saving grace, and we're hoping for, we don't have a final answer on this, but we think last time we lost two out of the 3 of our delivery vans completely totaled,” Blancato said. “We're hopeful that one is fine, and there's a chance the other one might be fine. So, if our two vans here are salvageable, that will be a real win for us."
The flower company set up a donation page and encouraged people to continue to shop with them as they rebound from this latest flood.
"Last time our community did so much to help get us through, and we've already seen the outpouring of support, and so we're so grateful for that,” Blancato said.
