ENCINITAS, Calif. — As another round of rain fell across San Diego County Monday, people in the City of Encinitas remained on edge, as recent storms have caused significant flooding and damage there.
“It’s rainy and cold,” said Encinitas resident, Aubrey Huffman. “It’s definitely been crazy over here, we’re not used to rain like this, so it’s definitely been a lot more intense.”
CBS 8 saw city crews monitoring storm drains and pump stations, staying vigilant for any signs of flooding.
“You know, it’s insane,” said Ryan Parker, who lives in the Leucadia neighborhood. “This is probably the second or third big storm that we’ve had this year, so we’re just crossing our fingers and hoping it’s going to work out.”
Two weeks ago, low-lying streets and alleys like the one near North Coast Highway 101 and Europa Street were inundated with several feet of water in a short amount of time.
“It was horrific, we were underwater right where we’re standing right now,” said Pete Albanez at Leucadia Roadside Park.
“It was pretty torrential, just driving up and down the street, a lot of flooding going on,” said Pat Muirragui, who lives in Leucadia.
On January 22, several businesses including The Mudd House, a ceramic arts studio, were completely flooded.
“It’s hard to know when it’s going to happen and what we can do to prevent it and what we can’t, so I’m just taking all measures possible,” said Emma Storm Sabo, owner of the Mudd House. After it flooded, she and her team lined the building with sandbags.
“So far it seems okay,” said Sabo while checking on the building Monday. “It really could change at any moment, so I’m just kind of nervously anticipating a flood.”
Sabo showed CBS 8 inside her studio where they’ve cut out portions of the drywall.
“This is a dehumidifier that Pacific Flood Restoration brought for us, and it’s been going for a little over a week just to pull any of the moisture out of the walls,” said Sabo.
The Mudd House is going on its third week being closed for repairs, and Sabo says it’s isolating.
“It’s really heartbreaking,” said Sabo. “The thing I miss most is the community and just the people that I see every day that come in here and just bring the energy to the studio that makes it what it is.”
Meanwhile, as the rain continued to fall throughout the day Monday, people living in Leucadia remained anxious.
“Now it’s a bit of a panic,” said Muirragui. “So when it rains, everyone starts kind of wondering, ‘How bad is it going to be? And you know, you see the damage, it’s palpable.”
For more information on storm preparedness, visit the website for the City of Encinitas.
If you’d like to help The Mudd House in their flood recovery and rebuilding efforts, they’ve set up a fundraiser.