John,

If you’re living in San Diego after Monday’s rainstorm, you're probably full of questions, you're probably full of concern, and you might even be outraged. I know we at Alliance San Diego feel all these things and more. America’s Finest City has shown us that low-income, marginalized, and unhoused communities, which are largely communities of color, are the least of its priorities.

The City’s inaction is blatant racism fueled by countless excuses.

Over 100+ families lost their homes due to the flooding and many more were displaced, especially in predominantly Black and Brown communities. Some of those families waited on rooftops, surrounded by over 5ft of water for help that never arrived. Some are still living in unsafe conditions because they have no way to access the few resources offered by the city. We know that at least three housing sites for homeless residents were destroyed, inundated by streets that turned to rushing rivers of short-circuited cars and debris. Those roads are now dry and caked with contaminated mud that is constantly dispersed into the air by every vehicle that drives over them. All of this could have been prevented.

Like our neighbors in Barrio Logan, Southcrest, and Southeast, Alliance San Diego asked the City to take action long before now and was dismissed. Last year, we requested fixes for the water pooling off the broken sidewalk over the storm drain at the corner of 16th and Newton in Barrio Logan. The City responded: “It was evaluated and determined that no action is warranted by the City of San Diego at this time.” Fast forward to this week and that is the exact intersection where water rose several feet, not only flooding our office and causing evacuations at the school across the street, but also wiping out the homeless shelter at the corner, endangering lives. The lack of response then and now is stunning.

As the flood waters recede, we see the inequities of public investment.

For over a decade, community members have used appropriate, city funded channels to repeatedly request the city to maintain and clear storm drains of obvious vegetation and build more resilient infrastructure to ensure safety; the City has outright ignored the needs. They’ve procrastinated, lacked urgency, and spent their energy directing resources to shinier, more affluent communities. We all deserve the infrastructure that keeps us safe. The unfortunate devastation that is widespread in Black and Brown neighborhoods could have been prevented by simply exercising care and humanity.

Now, adding insult to injury, the City is responding in ways that reflect their priorities. While city crews clean off the secluded beaches in the north of the city, city police are towing and impounding vehicles in the south of the city that were swept up in the floods — the floods caused by poorly maintained infrastructure in lower income communities. Instead of being helped by the City, residents will have to pay to get their cars (or what’s left of them) back.

It’s time to hold our City leaders accountable.

As the winter season continues, San Diego will surely see more record breaking rainfall, and with that more flooding is a risk. Community members and businesses are barely climbing out of the swampy remnants to escape imminent sickness and mold. And because there is no leadership out of the disaster, we are unclear about what happens next. San Diego doesn’t have and hasn’t released a plan for restoration, other than to ask the federal government for money. City leaders seem more concerned with distraction drills, deflecting blame, and damage assessment surveys. None of these lead to residents getting help. None of these reconcile the despair they feel.

But community members standing by each other offers hope. Together, we can raise our voices and call for immediate relief and investments into the infrastructure needed to withstand the changes in climate. While the City cannot control the weather, it can absolutely control if and how it plans for it, and allocate public resources to address it equitably.

SIGN THE PETITION CALLING ON MAYOR GLORIA TO TAKE ACTION NOW:

We, the undersigned call on you, Mr. Mayor, to take these initial steps to protect our communities in the wake of flooding that was exacerbated by inadequate city infrastructure, which caused immeasurable harm and could continue to cause harm if not fixed. We need help to recover from this storm and prepare for the next. We call on you to:

Immediately clear the storm drains and culverts in the flooded areas.
Waive the towing and impoundment fees of cars caught up in the flood.
Provide dumpsters free of charge for all affected areas.
Present a plan to prevent, prepare for and respond to flooding in the City, including providing financial, housing, and other support for affected residents.
In the coming budget, prioritize investments in the drainage systems, including fixing the damaged storm drains and water infrastructure in impacted areas.