Midway Sinking – Sports Arena Under Water
Warnings from the City and County of San Diego make it clear that we need to prepare for potentially catastrophic flooding in the weeks and months ahead.
Forecasts indicate that a strong El Niño could seriously affect San Diego, potentially causing beach erosion, bluff collapses, and coastal flooding driven by large swells, high tides, and heavy rain.
It could also create serious problems for parks, infrastructures, roadways, and homes.
The City of San Diego adopted its Coastal Resilience Master Plan in September 2025, identifying projects at La Jolla Shores, Tourmaline Surf Park, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, and Sunset Cliffs. The plan is specifically focused on nature-based resilience projects along the immediate coastline.
But what about the broader concern? Where is the comprehensive resilience plan for low-lying inland areas such as the Midway corridor and flood-prone drainage systems such as Chollas Creek?
As we have already seen, these areas are vulnerable to combinations of high tides, rising sea levels, elevated groundwater, and intense rainfall. Add a strong El Niño—with coastal water levels potentially elevated further—and the concern is not confined to beaches and bluffs. It becomes an infrastructure issue involving roads, storm drains, sewer and water systems, electrical utilities, and surrounding neighborhoods.
In the case of the Midway area, that question becomes even more consequential when thousands of new housing units and other high-intensity development are being proposed in a historically low-lying area with shallow groundwater. It is also situated in FEMA’s floodplain path.
It is troubling that elected officials who warn residents about impending storms and flooding continue to disregard information from geologists and oceanographers about the potentially dramatic effects of a strong El Niño.
We are already seeing the effects of a rising water table in San Diego’s coastal areas, particularly in the Midway area.
In mid-August 2026, I saw serious flooding on Midway Drive and heard from residents of a new apartment building expressing frustration about ocean water reaching their doorsteps. Vehicles parked in front of the building were waterlogged, and sidewalks and roadways were flooded. This was on a warm, star-filled evening. No rain was creating the area to flood.
The flooding continues. As the water table rises, groundwater is being forced into storm drains. This past month (late September), additional photos documented more flooding at the same location and in Pacific Beach.
Yet San Diego’s elected officials continue to ignore the growing risk while urging residents to remain alert and do their part.
What are they doing to prevent avoidable future catastrophes?
We’re being told to prepare for the upcoming “serious” storm season and that we should also get flood insurance. If you live anywhere close to the Midway site, major flooding is expected.
Yet, the fact is the Midway project is on major infill and water infiltration. The cost of building on this site will be very expensive, especially to build pumps and systems to remove ocean water from the basements and underground areas. And ocean water damages pipes and underground power lines.
Ultimately, taxpayers and ratepayers are going to be stuck with the higher bills, thanks to our elected officials who disregard the purpose of CEQA, which is what SB344 was all about.
We also now know that San Diego was required by a state law (AB 691) to do a sea level rise analysis – but we only found a draft report. This means more deception and lack of due diligence. “Let’s rush this through,” says our elected officials, “then let the taxpayers, residents and ratepayers deal with the problem. It’ll be out of our hands.” That’s how politicians work.
Which comes back to the fact that instead of allowing science and environmental conditions to guide sound decisions, politicians too often act as though they can outsmart Mother Nature and control the ocean.
We know how that will turn out.
Category: Featured Articles, Government, Land issues, Local News
