SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A blustery late-autumn storm saturated the San Diego area Friday, flooding streets and causing a spate of traffic crashes while delivering some much-needed moisture to the drought-parched region.
The showers started overnight and increased in intensity through much of the county toward daybreak, according to the National Weather Service.
The deluge made for dicey commutes. Between midnight and 4 p.m., the California Highway Patrol logged 290 collisions. Over an entire day of fair weather, by comparison, the CHP generally responds to 50-75 crashes.
At times, motorists had to contend with some inundated and impassible roadways, including stretches of Avenida del Rio in Mission Valley, Quarry Road in Spring Valley and several lanes on southbound Interstate 5 near Santa Fe Drive in Encinitas, authorities said.
Much of the empty parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium also wound up under flowing and standing water for a time.
The downpours resulted in several record rainfall amounts for the date: 1.44 inches at Palomar Mountain, beating the old milestone of 1.28, (1993); 1.05 in San Diego, exceeding 1.01 (1943); and 0.72 in Alpine, surpassing 0.5 (2011).
As of early evening, the NWS reported, the dark clouds had dropped 1.41 inches of precipitation in Carlsbad; 1.13 in Chula Vista; 1.12 in Valley Center; 1.1 in Oceanside; 1.05 at Lindbergh Field; 1.02 in Encinitas and Julian; 1.01 in Santee and Vista; 0.99 in San Marcos; 0.96 in Fallbrook and Miramar; 0.95 in Escondido; 0.89 at Brown Field; 0.88 in Del Mar; 0.86 in Descanso and National City; 0.82 in Poway; 0.79 in Oak Grove; 0.78 in Potrero; 0.75 in Rancho Bernardo and Rancho San Diego; 0.72 in Ramona; 0.68 in La Mesa; 0.64 on Mount Laguna; 0.49 in Campo; and 0.21 in Ranchita.
The rainfall, which had become scattered by mid-afternoon, was expected to diminish over the evening before petering out completely late Friday night or early Saturday.