SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - The recent winter storms that hit San Diego helped open up plenty of potholes on roadways, and drivers are paying the price.
In Pacific Beach for example, potholes are causing a lot of damage to vehicles - everything form flat tires to alignment problems.
Danny Smith with Bee Line Breaks and Alignment Shop in Pacific Peach said since the latest round of storms he has seen between ten and 20 vehicles come in with some sort of pothole damage.
The damage usually ranges from minor to extensive and costly. "A simple alignment could be as low as $59, but if steering components are damaged, repairs could be in the hundreds or up to a thousand dollars on some models," said Smith.
The City of San Diego said it's working to fill the potholes, but with so many, it's tough to keep up. City crews are out daily in large part thanks to reports from residents.
Residents can go online or use the Get It Done San Diego app to upload pictures and detail a pothole location.
"You can see the status and just be in control of your request - that's really the best way to let us know," said Anthony Santacroce with the City of San Diego.
While normal response time is seven days, the latest storms have increased the wait time.
The City of San Diego is also monitoring claims from drivers whose vehicles have been damaged; however, reimbursement is not guaranteed. Every claim is investigated. The city has 45-days to respond to claims.
A blown tire is an obvious sign of pothole damage, but experts also recommend drivers to pay attention to any steering problems and fix them before the problem gets any worse.
City officials have said the best way to tackle potholes is to report them online or the city's Get It Done San Diego app.
The app is can be downloaded or you can log onto www.sandiego.gov/get-it-done.
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