As climate change drives sea level rise and increasingly severe storms, communities along California’s coastline are facing extreme rainfall and flooding events that overwhelm local infrastructure, threaten public health, and expose inequalities in climate preparedness. That happened in January, when a “1,000-year” storm in southeastern San Diego sent up to 5 feet of water into residential neighborhoods and homes, displacing hundreds of people.
Low-income Latinx and Black communities were disproportionately impacted, including Barrio Logan and Logan Heights. These are among the most polluted areas in California, surrounded by junkyards, shipyards, and industrial repair shops and next to the Port of San Diego. Residents there say the city failed for years to maintain stormwater infrastructure, instead prioritizing wealthier neighborhoods.
They have filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the neglect worsened the impact of the storm and are demanding investment in climate resilience against floodwaters (so far the city’s climate preparedness in the area has focused mostly on extreme heat).
This reporting project examines the impact of the flooding on these communities in San Diego, and puts their struggles in the context of coastal flooding threats to low-income neighborhoods across the state. It will also explore how the city and the state are preparing (or not) for this risk—including the expectation of flooding at hazardous sites near these neighborhoods—and what communities themselves see as the solutions.
