Residents sound off to San Diego mayor about lack of flood channel maintenance

Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday declared a state of emergency in San Diego and Ventura counties to help recover from Monday’s storm, as dry weather moved into Southern California. The emergency proclamation includes provisions for unemployment benefits for impacted residents and waiving fees to replace records such as driver’s license cards and birth certificates. The declaration also allows for fairgrounds and state-owned properties to be used as evacuation and staging sites, as the Office of Emergency Services sees fit. The chilly winter storm that arrived in the San Diego area over the weekend delivered steady downpours along with widespread flooding that swamped roadways and neighborhoods across the region. MORE: