SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (KGTV) — A Ukrainian Orthodox church in Spring Valley is bracing for another potential flood as severe weather moves through the region, marking what could be the fourth major flooding incident since 2017.
St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been battling recurring flood damage, with the most recent incident occurring during New Year's weekend last month.
The church was forced to rip out all carpeting for a third time and is now hesitant to replace it, knowing another storm could bring more destruction. The pale tiles and leftover carpet fibers serve as reminders of the damage from the third flooding incident in nine years.
"The water went all the way to the altar," said Vera Skop, a church board member, describing the extent of the latest flooding.
Ahead of Thursday's storm, volunteers set up a sandbag fortress around the church property.
"We knew we had to remove the carpets. We knew we had to start drying out the drywall," Skop said.
Despite their experience with flood recovery, this most recent incident has strained the church's resources.
"We just don't have those funds. Until the school fixes and the county fixes those swales, we're not putting in a whole lot of money just because we put about $200,000 less than 2 years ago, and we just can't keep doing this every two years," Skop said.
The church has filed a lawsuit claiming a culvert on property belonging to the Spring Valley/La Mesa School District, which has a school that sits above the church, is the source of the flooding.
The church claims the prior flooding was also a result of the culvert on the school's property, which had not been properly maintained before the storms.
ABC 10News covered the impacts of those floods both in 2024 and in 2026.
The district's superintendent declined, in an email to ABC 10News, to comment on the litigation but acknowledged the culvert has been a decades-long issue.
While pursuing a long-term solution, the church has found short-term measures that appear to be working. Volunteers completed extensive preparation work earlier this week, and the first two storms this week haven't caused flooding.
"We have these incredible volunteers who work really hard," Skop said. "Ukrainians are very resilient. They work very hard. Most of our parish are refugees."
If the protective measures remain in place, the church plans to resume services this Sunday and plans to hold a blood drive.
It would be the third time since the New Year's weekend flood displaced its congregation. The service will mark four years since the war in Ukraine began.
"We're praying for Ukraine," Skop said. "We're still blessed, you know. We've got electricity. People are freezing in Ukraine."
The church is currently raising funds to replace the carpet for a third time through a GoFundMe campaign.
To help, click here.
