San Diego Faces Record Flooding and Homeless Shelter Evacuations Amid Climate-Driven Storms
On New Year's Day, San Diego experienced record-breaking rainfall of 2 inches, causing significant flooding and water rescues throughout the city. Approximately 325 residents, both men and women, staying at the Bridge shelter in downtown San Diego were evacuated to a gym located in a nearby park. The Bridge shelter, a large gray tent managed by the Alpha Project, has been subjected to previous evacuations due to flooding events in 2018 and 2024.
In response to the ongoing storms affecting Southern California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch, warning that areas near burn scars remain especially vulnerable to debris flows and flash flooding. Experts attribute the rise in such extreme weather events to climate change, which disproportionately impacts people experiencing homelessness.
San Diego is already grappling with a shortage of shelter beds. The Bridge shelter has faced significant challenges; for instance, during the 2024 evacuation, residents had to navigate through waist-deep water, and five years earlier, a flash flood struck the shelter. Despite these hardships, Michael Coats, 68, who was staying with his wife under the tent, expressed optimism about eventually returning to an apartment.
These events occur within a broader context of disaster-related displacement in the United States, where around 11 million people were displaced by natural disasters in 2024. The 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, led to an 83% increase in homelessness on the island, highlighting the widespread impact of climate-driven disasters on housing stability.
