The 2.7 inches of rain measured at San Diego International Airport was the fifth-highest single-day total for any time of year since rainfall tracking began in 1850
Hundreds of people in San Diego had to be rescued on Monday amid a deluge of rain that caused major flooding , knocked out power and swept away multiple cars.
Nearly four inches of rain fell over roughly six hours, making Monday the city’s wettest January day on record, according to a National Weather Service meteorologist cited by the Los Angeles Times .
The 2.7 inches of rain measured at San Diego International Airport also accounted for the fifth-highest single-day total for any time of year since the NWS began tracking rainfall totals in 1850.
The San Diego Fire Department performed at least two dozen emergency rescue operations along the San Diego and Tijuana rivers. Hundreds of people also needed to be rescued from homes in the city’s Southcrest neighborhood, located near Chula Vista.
Video posted to social media showed cars being swept away by rushing floodwater and significant flooding in downtown San Diego near the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park, which forced the city’s light rail trains and bus route to temporarily halt service.