Source link : https://sandiego365.info/2026/01/19/rising-floodwaters-force-hundreds-to-flee-san-diego-homeless-shelter/
Torrential rains battered San Diego overnight, flooding a major homeless shelter and forcing hundreds of residents to flee in the early hours, authorities and aid workers said. The sudden inundation overwhelmed drainage systems and sent water surging through the facility, soaking beds, destroying personal belongings and prompting an urgent evacuation operation. As emergency crews scrambled to relocate displaced occupants to temporary sites, the incident exposed the extreme vulnerability of the city’s unhoused population to increasingly volatile weather and raised fresh questions about the resilience of San Diego’s shelter infrastructure.
Emergency evacuation at San Diego homeless shelter exposes infrastructure failures
The sudden evacuation of more than 300 residents in the early hours laid bare systemic weaknesses long flagged by advocates but rarely addressed with urgency. As murky floodwater poured through dorm-style rooms and common areas, staff and volunteers scrambled to move people with walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, relying on hastily formed human chains rather than any formal disaster protocol. Inside the shelter, critical vulnerabilities became obvious: blocked drainage grates, aging electrical panels close to ground level and insufficient emergency lighting that left entire corridors in darkness as power failed.
- No on-site backup generator despite repeated power outages in recent winters
- Single primary exit route from the main dormitory wing,…
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Author : Victoria Jones
Publish date : 2026-01-19 08:26:00
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