SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Residents still stunned by last week’s historic flooding were keeping a close watch on Chollas Creek, ensuring the water levels stayed low, in fear they would need to evacuate their homes.
The creek has been a point of concern, as residents claim the channel was overgrown with vegetation, filled with debris and a popular homeless encampment prior to last week’s flood. Many residents said they have never seen it as clear as it is now, after the city said 100 crews worked over the last week to clear the channel of the vegetation and debris.
City officials said they cleared more than 5,500 tons of debris from the four miles of creek and its channels.
After the rain Thursday afternoon, water was moving freely and flowing through the creek, a much different sight than what it looked like before, according to residents in Southcrest, Shelltown and Mountain View.
“I was like I had to see it for myself, see what was going on, many residents were taking pictures of the creek Thursday afternoon,” a nearby resident said. “It’s flowing, it’s flowing, so we’ll see.”