Dear Neighbor,

I declared a state of emergency in the City of San Diego due to heavy rainfall and flash flooding. The declaration helps the City take quick and direct actions to respond to the emergency.

We have activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center, and our emergency responders will continue to address the impacts around the clock. The American Red Cross has also set up an evacuation center at Lincoln High School for residents who have been displaced by the flooding.

The City will continue coordinating efforts with other local, state, and federal agencies to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to the flooding reported in neighborhoods across San Diego.

You can monitor the latest City road closures, evacuations and get more storm-related information online at sandiego.gov/storm.

When you see heavy rains like this, please stay safe and help our emergency responders by staying home if possible. And never attempt to travel on flooded roadways or sidewalks.

To report flooding, contact the City's dispatch center at 619-527-7500. To report a clogged storm drain, please use our Get it Done app so we can fix the issue to ensure efficient drainage.

As the storm’s impacts are being assessed, I encourage all San Diegans to consider putting an emergency storm plan in place. Check out the City's Storm Preparedness webpage for information to help you and your loved ones prepare for the next big storm.

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.

Mayor Gloria Traveled to Washington D.C. for Annual Mayors Conference

I attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, an annual gathering that brings together mayors from across the country to discuss and address the most pressing issues facing our respective cities.

It's a chance to share ideas, collaborate on solutions, and engage in productive conversations about the challenges and opportunities that we all encounter. I enjoyed attending this year’s Winter Conference to learn from other mayors’ experiences and share some of the successes we’re having here at home in San Diego. 

I had the opportunity to share progress we’re seeing from my executive order to combat illicit fentanyl. The opioid addiction and overdose crisis is affecting every city in the nation, and I discussed our efforts to go after dealers and increase treatment options to protect our communities from this deadly poison.

Beyond partner-building and substantive discussions, the conference provides a platform for mayors to advocate for the needs of cities at the federal level. I met with federal partners including leaders of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar and others and continued advocating for more resources at our border and the great need for the planned Otay Mesa East Port of Entry.

Nearly every mayor I talked with at the conference said their focus in 2024 will be increasing housing affordability, enhancing public safety, rebuilding regional infrastructure and addressing homelessness. Progress on these key issues, along with supporting a strong local economy and good jobs, will be my continued focus as well.

City Unveils Results of Street Condition Assessment 

I drive on city streets just like you — and like you, I get frustrated by the damaged streets, potholes, and disrepair.  

My administration has made record investments to reverse years of neglect of our roadways, but as a new assessment of our streets makes clear, we have much more work to do.   

For the first time in seven years, the City of San Diego completed a condition assessment of every paved street segment in every neighborhood, collecting data that will help guide decisions on how to prioritize and fund road repair.  

This new data will provide us the information to more strategically and efficiently fix streets now and into the future.  

This evaluation of street conditions, known as a Pavement Condition Index (PCI), is included in a comprehensive Pavement Management Plan, released this week by the City’s Transportation Department to outline a data-driven strategy for pavement management for years to come.  

Read more about the PCI and our Pavement Management Plan on Inside San Diego. 

Mayor Gloria Sponsors Renewed State Bill to Address Illicit Fentanyl 

I have joined forces to again urge the State Legislature to act on the proliferation of illicit fentanyl.

Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced that he’s reintroducing Alexandra’s Law in Senate Bill 21, and I am a proud sponsor of this proposal to implement a fentanyl admonishment in California similar to the state’s current Watson Advisement for DUIs.

The proposed legislation will create a new approach to fentanyl poisonings that first warns and then punishes drug dealers who traffic illicit fentanyl that results in death or serious injury. 

Senator Umberg heard the concerns and objections of some members of the Senate Public Safety Committee, where a similar bill got stalled last year. He took numerous amendments -- including the addition of mandatory drug court and/or treatment for offenders -- and continued to work on this proposal throughout the year.

Californians are rightly demanding a legislative response to our illicit fentanyl epidemic and the drug’s incredibly high death toll, so I’m grateful to Sen. Umberg for reworking the bill and continuing the push for accountability as a deterrent for dealing.  

The proposed legislation is named after Alexandra Capelouto, a 20-year-old Temecula college student who died in her home after suffering a fentanyl poisoning in 2019. Alexandra died after buying counterfeit Percocet pills containing a deadly amount of fentanyl. 

We’ve already seen 25,000 Californians die from this poisoning epidemic. That’s why I’ll remain fiercely committed to supporting not only tougher laws but also making pushing increased treatment options for opioid addiction and education on the dangers of illicit fentanyl.

Read more about why I support Sen. Umberg’s reintroduction of Alexandra’s Law here. 

New Road Repair Projects Begin in Clairemont Mesa, Mission Hills, Pacific Beach and Bay Park 

Several neighborhoods are getting smoother, safer streets thanks to a new slurry seal project resurfacing streets in and around Clairemont Mesa, Mission Hills, Pacific Beach, Point Loma and Bay Park. 

This project is part of a huge investment in repairing and resurfacing roads citywide. 

Slurry seal is used to prevent the deterioration of streets, which is vital to improving the overall condition of San Diego’s network of roads. Information about different types of street repair can be found on the Transportation Department webpage. 

The latest work of slurry seal projects will be completed, weather permitting, through the month of January. Roads that will be resurfaced include University Avenue, Sheridan Avenue, Alameda Drive and dozens more.

Get the full list of streets being resurfaced on Inside San Diego, or to view a map of past, current and future street repair in your neighborhood, visit the City’s interactive StreetsSD map. 

City Begins Comprehensive Update to Historic Preservation Program

The City has taken on an intensive, top-to-bottom review of our historic preservation process to help ensure we are truly preserving the architecture and buildings that are historically significant to San Diego, while also making sure the criteria are clear and our preservation process is not used to block revitalization and new home construction.  

Our goal of the Preservation and Progress initiative is to make the historic determination process more efficient and less arbitrary so we can both preserve our heritage and revitalize our communities with new housing for San Diegans.  

Community members, organizations and others wanting to provide input on this initiative can visit the Progress and Preservation webpage to learn more and submit comments. The initiative will ultimately go to the City Council for approval, and San Diegans will have an opportunity to provide input throughout the public hearing process. 

Read more about the City’s Preservation and Progress initiative on Inside San Diego.  

City Crews Working Around the Clock to Reinstate Quiet Zone for Downtown Train Crossings  

City Transporation Department crews are working around the clock to get the Downtown Quiet Zone reinstated and ensure train crossings Downtown are clearly marked and safe for everyone. 

While the City works to ensure all required safety measures are in place, loud train horns are serving as an additional, temporary layer of safety, alerting people and cars to the presence of the train crossings. However, the noise is also disrupting life for nearby residents and businesses. 

The Federal Railroad Administration suspended the Quiet Zone last week after an inspection revealed the need for updates at a dozen intersections. These updates are crucial to make the railroad crossings safe and allow trains to pass without the usual requirement of honking their horns in alert before passing through an intersection. 

Locomotive engineers are required to begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public crossings. However, cities that meet certain safety requirements are allowed to designate as a “quiet zone” a segment of a rail line with one or more consecutive crossings by satisfying technical requirements put in place to keep people safe. 

Work on new sign production and installation continued through the weekend, with 72 out of 88 needed signs fabricated and installations under way at all 12 affected intersections in Downtown San Diego. Crews are working on striping and other physical safety improvements. 

In addition to these upgrades, the City must count vehicle crossings over seven days. Once the counts are complete and submitted, the FRA will re-inspect the Quiet Zone intersections for full compliance to end the suspension. 

I fully recognize and apologize for the distress the Quiet Zone suspension is causing Downtown residents who live near these train tracks. I live Downtown and hear the loud honking through the night, so I am experiencing the impacts firsthand. 

My office will continue working closely with the FRA to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, and I’ll continue providing regular updates to the public until it is. 

Enjoying the 14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sportsfest, Community Celebration and Parade 

I was thrilled to join the City’s 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Sportsfest, Community Celebration and Parade. The parade started at Valencia Park Elementary School and ended in a big, fun community celebration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center. The community came together to enjoy great food, small business vendors, a Health & Wellness Pavilion, booths offering community resources and more.