The aftermath of the destructive floods in Southcrest is still unfolding three days after the relentless rain wreaked havoc on the community. Streets are coated with mud, and waterlogged possessions are heaped on sidewalks alongside cars positioned haphazardly.
Deems School
Thursday morning witnessed the challenging effort of workers attempting to tow a battered red SUV up the embankment of Chollas Creek, one of several cars strewn across the creek bed. Personal belongings, fragments of people’s lives, were scattered or entangled in the buckled chain link fence bordering the creek—a car bumper, a blue backpack, a stained pillow.
Adjacent to the creek, positioned on a slight incline, is Cesar Chavez Elementary. Principal Francisco Santos expressed relief as the school emerged relatively unscathed compared to the surrounding neighborhood. Although some classrooms experienced roof leaks and the playground and field were submerged, by Thursday morning, diligent workers had already cleared most of the mud left behind by the water.
During a tour of the school three days after the storm, Principal Santos recounted the unfolding events while students were in class. As water levels rose on Monday, and residents sought refuge in Chavez’s cramped parking lot, Santos wondered if the school itself would be inundated. He emphasized that the safety of the students was the top priority. Teachers aimed to shield the students from the distressing events, maintaining a sense of normalcy within the school grounds, away from the trauma unfolding beyond the fence.
Bright yellow flyers, in both English and Spanish, dotted buildings, advertising a food and clothing drive for flood victims. These flyers also listed basic necessities such as toilet paper. Santos mentioned that they had compiled a list of families most severely affected and had already gathered a substantial amount of clothes and food, intending to distribute them on Saturday.
Despite their efforts to support students and families, Santos acknowledged that the road to recovery would be long. He emphasized the community’s ongoing processing of the events, with families visibly grappling with the aftermath. Santos stressed their current focus on ensuring that those affected receive whatever support the school can provide.
A couple of miles away at Lincoln High, the Red Cross transformed the gym into a temporary shelter. Fruit, coffee, bags of chips, cookies, and water bottles adorned folding tables in the gym’s foyer. While twenty-six people sought refuge at the shelter on Wednesday night, this likely represents only a fraction of those impacted by the flooding. The Red Cross, including personnel like Richard Morris, who has responded to various disasters, noted the suddenness and extensive damage of this flood, describing it as a different challenge. He highlighted the emotional toll on individuals who are “barely holding on,” emphasizing the urgency of providing support and resources to those affected.
