Chaotic planning, delays, miscommunication: San Diego recovery efforts fell short after 2024 flooding, audit finds

City Audit Calls San Diego's Flood Recovery Response "Chaotic" and "Disjointed"

Poor planning, communication failures, and delays hampered response to unprecedented January 2024 disaster that displaced 1,200 residents

San Diego's response to devastating flooding that struck southeastern neighborhoods in January 2024 was plagued by "improvised and disjointed decision-making," delayed infrastructure management, and "poor public communication planning," according to a scathing 79-page city audit released this month.

The audit, conducted by City Auditor Andy Hanau and four other auditors, assessed the city's effectiveness in responding to what officials called a historic rainfall event that dumped over 3 inches of rain in just hours, causing catastrophic flooding along Chollas Creek and displacing more than 1,200 residents.

The Storm and Its Impact

On January 22, 2024, an atmospheric river stalled over southeastern San Diego, dropping 2.73 inches of rain in 24 hours—the highest level since 1850. The deluge overwhelmed aging stormwater infrastructure, causing Chollas Creek to overflow and inundate the predominantly Latino neighborhoods of Southcrest, Shelltown, and Logan Heights.

The flooding triggered one of the largest emergency responses in recent city history. San Diego Fire-Rescue and Police Department teams conducted more than 200 water rescues as residents found themselves trapped in homes and vehicles. At least five people died, and approximately 1,000 homes and businesses reported damage.

Mayor Todd Gloria declared a state of emergency that day, activating the city's Emergency Operations Center and coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies.

Mixed Review: Success Then Failure

While the audit praised the initial emergency response—with one Emergency Operations Center staff member calling it "one of the best things I have ever done in my 34 years of work at the City"—it found significant failures in the recovery phase.

Planning Deficiencies

City officials had no clear plan for post-emergency recovery demands that exceeded the city's traditional responsibilities. As a result:

• The mayor's office began making operational decisions typically handled by departments
• City Council members organized their own relief efforts that sometimes conflicted with city departments
• An incident management team was activated too late due to department leaders' unfamiliarity with such operations

"The community and elected officials expected the city to do more, such as canvas the affected communities to learn residents' needs and provide longer-term, non-congregate shelter options," the report states. "However, because the city has not historically taken on these roles, the city did not have a plan to do so."

Shelter Response Chaos

The American Red Cross opened a congregate shelter at Lincoln High School, but few displaced residents stayed there, citing privacy and safety concerns. With no city plan for non-congregate sheltering, the San Diego Housing Commission—which has no formal disaster recovery role—was forced to create an emergency hotel program that eventually housed hundreds of people.

The county later took over the program, but challenges persisted. Recent audits revealed that Equus Workforce Solutions, the contractor hired to manage temporary lodging, submitted more than $2 million in questionable charges and provided what community activists called "substandard" service.

Communication Breakdowns

The audit identified multiple communication failures that left affected residents feeling abandoned:

Translation Errors: Spanish-language flyers contained errors, including wrong dates and incorrect storm recovery information—a serious problem in areas with higher-than-average populations of limited English speakers.

Mayoral Bottleneck: In an unusual departure from standard practice, Mayor Gloria's office required all public communications to be reviewed and approved through his office, causing delays and disagreements with communications staff. This requirement "did not follow crisis communication best practices," auditors found.

Missed Opportunities: When the incident management team wanted to hold a town hall for affected residents, the mayor denied the request, saying it would be hard for people to attend. Community groups noted that residents "felt like the city was not around and residents were on their own."

Ongoing Legal Challenges

The flooding's aftermath has spawned extensive litigation. More than 1,900 residents have filed dozens of lawsuits against the city, claiming negligence in maintaining stormwater infrastructure. One major class-action lawsuit includes more than 700 plaintiffs seeking upwards of $200 million in damages.

The lawsuits allege that the city failed to maintain Chollas Creek despite knowing it posed a flooding risk. Community members had repeatedly requested channel cleaning through the city's "Get It Done" app and other channels.

In March 2025, a Vista judge ruled that most claims against the city could proceed, dismissing only one allegation related to employee negligence.

Infrastructure Problems Exposed

The flooding exposed long-standing problems with San Diego's aging stormwater system. The city has a backlog of maintenance work, with approximately 200 channel segments requiring attention but only four able to be completed annually under current budgets—representing 50 years of work.

State officials noted that the city could have performed preventative clearing of Chollas Creek if it had sought proper permissions, but city officials cited complex regulatory requirements involving multiple agencies.

Following the emergency, Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency declaration allowed the city to perform immediate channel clearing, completing 18 miles of stormwater channel maintenance—roughly 10 years' worth of work—in the flood's aftermath.

Community Impact

The flooding disproportionately affected underserved communities. More than 300 families remain unable to return home over a year later, receiving ongoing support through the San Diego Housing Commission's Flood Recovery Program.

Community organizers like Clariza Marin of the Harvey Family Foundation described the response as inadequate, leading to grassroots recovery efforts. "There's no more sitting around waiting for someone to save us," Marin said during the recovery period. "We know we have to take the initiative and get ourselves back into our community."

The city has provided some assistance, waiving approximately $80,000 in construction permit fees and processing 87 permits for rebuilding. Additionally, more than 6,870 tons of storm-related debris and hazardous waste were collected and removed.

Official Response and Financial Concerns

Emergency Services Director Chris Heiser, in his comprehensive official response dated June 20, 2025, agreed to implement all 23 audit recommendations while noting significant financial and policy implications:

"Several elements of the framework, including sheltering operations, expanded care services, and information gathering, have significant financial implications and will require input from policymakers for guidance," Heiser wrote.

He specifically noted funding challenges: "For example, the City is not currently authorized under its existing budget structure to fund non-congregate sheltering (e.g., hotel stays for displaced individuals). If this approach is to be pursued, further legal analysis, policy direction, and resource planning will be necessary."

Audit Recommendations

The audit made 23 recommendations for improving future disaster response, including:

• Developing a clear framework of the city's role in disaster response
• Creating a city-specific recovery plan
• Clarifying roles of the mayor's office and City Council during emergencies
• Updating disaster communication plans, policies, and training
• Expanding the incident management team beyond fire-focused operations

Legislative Changes

The flooding prompted legislative action at the state level. Mayor Gloria co-sponsored Assembly Bill 3227, the Streamlining Storm Water Channel Maintenance Act, which expedited maintenance on key stormwater channels. The city also sponsored AB 2501, allowing improved staffing levels at local water boards for more efficient permit reviews.

In the city's FY 2025 budget, Mayor Gloria allocated $85.1 million for flood control and green infrastructure projects, building on the city's participation in the EPA's Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program covering 49% of up to $733 million in stormwater upgrades.

Looking Forward

The audit will be presented publicly when the City Council's audit committee meets on July 25, 2025. City Auditor Hanau emphasized that the lessons learned will help prepare for future disasters.

"Our audit found that improved planning and collaboration between the city's elected officials, emergency operations staff and the community will better position the city to execute comprehensive, coordinated disaster response and recovery efforts going forward," Hanau said.

However, implementation challenges remain significant. Emergency Services Director Heiser's response noted that expanding the city's disaster response role will require substantial policy changes and funding mechanisms that don't currently exist.

The city has committed to implementing all 23 recommendations, with target dates ranging from October 2025 to July 2026. But as Heiser noted, several elements will have "significant financial implications and will require input from policymakers for guidance."

As one year has passed since the disaster, residents like Greg Montoya, whose home on Beta Street was severely damaged, continue advocating for improvements. Montoya has filed six "Get it Done" reports since the flooding to request debris removal from Chollas Creek, with one still in progress as of February 2025.

For San Diego, the January 2024 flooding serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap for building more resilient communities. The audit's 23 recommendations provide a framework for improvement, but their successful implementation will require the political will and financial resources to transform emergency management from a reactive to a proactive enterprise.

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Primary Sources and Official Documentation

This comprehensive news story is based on extensive primary source documentation, including:

Key Primary Sources:

• Performance Audit of the City's Disaster Response (79 pages, June 2025) - The complete official audit report by City Auditor Andy Hanau and his team
• Official Management Response by Chris Heiser, Executive Director of Office of Emergency Services (June 20, 2025)
• City of San Diego Emergency Operations Plan and related municipal documents
• San Diego County After-Action Report on the January 2024 floods
• Official city communications, press releases, and emergency declarations

The audit was conducted by City Auditor Andy Hanau, who joined the Office of the City Auditor in 2011 and was appointed San Diego City Auditor in November 2020. Hanau holds a Master of Public Policy from UCLA and is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Fraud Examiner.

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Complete Source List and Formal Citations

Primary Government Documents:

1. Hanau, Andy, et al. "Performance Audit of the City's Disaster Response." San Diego Office of the City Auditor, OCA-25-10, June 2025. https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/performance-audit-of-the-city-s-disaster-response.pdf
2. Heiser, Chris. "Management Response to the Office of the City Auditor's Performance Audit of the City's Disaster Response." City of San Diego Office of Emergency Services, June 20, 2025. [Included as Appendix C in audit report]
3. "Mayor Gloria Declares State of Emergency Due to Impacts of Monday Storm." City of San Diego Official Website, January 22, 2024. https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/mayor-gloria-declares-state-emergency-due-impacts-monday-storm
4. "January 22, 2024 Storm Response and Recovery." City of San Diego Official Website, 2024. https://www.sandiego.gov/january-22-2024-storm
5. "City of San Diego Issues Evacuation Warning to Residents in Flood-Prone Areas." City of San Diego Official Website, January 31, 2024. https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/city-san-diego-issues-evacuation-warning-residents-flood-prone-areas
6. "Recovery Assistance." City of San Diego Official Website, 2024. https://www.sandiego.gov/recovery
7. "Recovery." San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, 2024. https://www.alertsandiego.org/en-us/recovery.html
8. "San Diego County flood relief." California Franchise Tax Board, 2024. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/when-to-file/san-diego-county-floods.html

News Media Coverage: 9. Rodriguez, Jaelyn. "Chaotic planning, delays, miscommunication: San Diego recovery efforts fell short after 2024 flooding, audit finds." San Diego Union-Tribune, July 16, 2025. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/07/16/chaotic-planning-delays-miscommunication-san-diego-recovery-efforts-fell-short-after-2024-flooding-audit-finds/

10. "One Year Since Record-Breaking Storm, City of San Diego Encourages Flood Preparedness and Prevention." Inside San Diego, January 22, 2025. https://www.insidesandiego.org/one-year-record-breaking-storm-city-san-diego-encourages-flood-preparedness-and-prevention
11. Nichols, Morgan. "700+ flood victims sue City of San Diego, alleging it failed to maintain Chollas Creek." NBC 7 San Diego, September 13, 2024. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/flood-victims-sue-city-of-san-diego-chollas-creek/3620815/
12. Celine, Collin. "Four months after the Jan 2024 San Diego flood." CBS 8, May 22, 2024. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/four-months-after-san-diego-flooding/509-63f8b355-2141-4294-be3c-cc45d81b853a
13. Elmer, MacKenzie. "San Diego Could Have Cleaned Chollas Creek Before Storm, State Says." Voice of San Diego, January 29, 2024. https://voiceofsandiego.org/2024/01/29/san-diego-could-have-cleaned-chollas-creek-before-storm-state-says/
14. Johnson, Luke. "San Diego's Chollas Creek overwhelmed by recent storm." KPBS Public Media, January 26, 2024. https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2024/01/23/san-diegos-chollas-creek-overwhelmed-by-recent-storm
15. Rodriguez, Jaelyn. "In spate of lawsuits over January 2024 floods, judge OKs most claims against city to proceed." San Diego Union-Tribune, March 2, 2025. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/02/in-spate-of-lawsuits-over-january-2024-floods-judge-oks-most-claims-against-city-to-proceed/
16. Anderson, Erik. "San Diego has lingering issues with stormwater." KPBS Public Media, February 6, 2024. https://www.kpbs.org/news/environment/2024/02/05/san-diego-has-lingering-issues-with-stormwater
17. "January 2024 flood victims express concerns leading up to heaviest rainfall of season." FOX 5 San Diego, February 11, 2025. https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/january-2024-flood-victims-express-concerns-leading-up-to-heaviest-rainfall-of-season/
18. Aliyu, Wale. "FULL INTERVIEW: Mayor Todd Gloria discusses historic flood's impact, city's response." ABC 10News, January 23, 2025. https://www.10news.com/news/we-follow-through/full-interview-mayor-todd-gloria-discusses-historic-floods-impact-citys-response
19. "San Diego leaders, January 2024 flood victims recount progress." NBC 7 San Diego, January 18, 2025. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-leaders-flood-victims-recount-progress/3727545/
20. Binkowski, Brooke. "After Deluge, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria Declares State of Emergency." Times of San Diego, January 22, 2024. https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2024/01/22/after-deluge-san-diego-mayor-todd-gloria-declares-state-of-emergency/

Policy Analysis and Research: 21. Bardeen, Sarah. "Making Sense of the Floods in San Diego." Public Policy Institute of California, February 29, 2024. https://www.ppic.org/blog/making-sense-of-the-floods-in-san-diego/

22. Moran, Greg and Crystal Niebla. "San Diego's devastating 2024 flood, told by those who were there." inewsource, October 1, 2024. https://inewsource.org/2024/03/25/san-diego-storm-2024-rescues-homes-flooded/

County and Contractor Audit Documents: 23. "Audit into county contractor finds over $2 million in questionable invoices." 10News, July 11, 2025. https://www.10news.com/news/we-follow-through/audit-into-county-contractor-finds-over-2-million-in-questionable-invoices

24. Carroll, John. "San Diego County Supervisor calls for audit on lodging for Jan. 22 flood victims." KPBS Public Media, October 25, 2024. https://www.kpbs.org/news/racial-justice-social-equity/2024/10/22/san-county-supervisor-calls-for-audit-on-lodging-for-jan-22-flood-victims
25. Carroll, John. "San Diego County Supervisors OK audit of firm hired to help flood victims." KPBS Public Media, October 23, 2024. https://www.kpbs.org/news/racial-justice-social-equity/2024/10/23/san-diego-county-supervisors-ok-audit-of-firm-hired-to-help-flood-victims
26. Alvarenga, Emily. "'A necessary step': Nine months after floods, county will audit emergency-lodging contractor." San Diego Union-Tribune, October 23, 2024. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/10/22/a-necessary-step-nine-months-after-floods-county-will-audit-emergency-lodging-contractor/

Official Biography and Background: 27. "Andy Hanau, MPP, CIA, CFE." City of San Diego Official Website. https://www.sandiego.gov/auditor/aboutus/hanau

28. "Todd Gloria - Wikipedia." Wikipedia, July 13, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Gloria

Budget and Financial Documents: 29. "Mayor Gloria's 'Protecting our Progress' Budget Delivers on Key Priorities, Maintains Core Services." City of San Diego Official Website, April 12, 2024. https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/protecting-our-progress-budget

This comprehensive news story incorporates primary source documentation, official government responses, investigative journalism, policy analysis, and community reporting to provide complete coverage of San Diego's 2024 flooding and the subsequent audit findings.

Chaotic planning, delays, miscommunication: San Diego recovery efforts fell short after 2024 flooding, audit finds – San Diego Union-Tribune