SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego's first storm of the season brought rain, wind, and some flooding concerns — but the city's Office of Emergency Services says preparations paid off, with no major areas of concern reported.
While the city had been preparing for the possibility of more rainfall, the storm served as a real-world test of those plans and preparations. Now that it has passed, emergency officials are reviewing what went right and what still needs more work.
Dustin Ivers, program manager with the Office of Emergency Services, said the goal was to stay ahead of any problems.
"We're trying to talk to the folks in the community to see what they're seeing, what their concerns are, and just having a real-time response. Not just being reactive but really trying to be proactive," said Ivers.
Ivers added that there was some flooding but no major areas of concern, attributing the outcome to work done by the city to clear stormwater drains ahead of the storm.
"We have a really good understanding of our stormwater infrastructure, the areas that don't have the greatest capacity, and then how the forecast from the NWS can inform where our troubled spots are going to be based on that forecast," said Ivers.
While the storm system did not bring the amount of rain some had been watching for, it still gave the city a chance to test its communication systems.
"We're constantly talking, communicating, and coordinating with each other before the storm hits, during the storm, and after the storm."
Officials say the storm did produce other issues, however.
"With all that runoff and the oil that accumulates on the road, there were 53 traffic accidents that the city fire rescue responded to on Saturday," said Ivers.
Emergency officials say this is just the beginning of storm season. They are urging residents to be ready, noting that the better prepared people are, the better the city's response will be.
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