More than 1,500 flood victims are still suing San Diego nearly two and a half years after the devastating floods, with the first trial now delayed until 2027.

SAN DIEGO — Nearly two and a half years after catastrophic flooding devastated several San Diego neighborhoods, more than 1,500 residents are still waiting for answers and compensation.

Those residents have joined lawsuits against the City of San Diego, alleging the city bears responsibility for damages caused by the January 22, 2024 flood.



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“I was displaced from my home. I’ve lost a lot of things, and nobody wanted to kind of own up to or take accountability for what was going on,” said Monica Hill, whose apartment at Village Green in Rolando Park flooded during the storm.

Hill said she has slowly rebuilt her life but remains frustrated by the lack of progress toward a settlement.

“We’re still here waiting to find out, you know, when is this going to happen? We don’t have any answers yet,” Hill said. “It’s very frustrating because we lost basically our whole life.”

Hill is among more than 1,500 flood victims seeking accountability and compensation through ongoing litigation.

Earlier this year, the City of San Diego reached a $6.3 million settlement with 17 insurance carriers over flood-related claims. The city has also filed a countersuit against 11 property owners whose land borders Chollas Creek.

Despite those developments, flood victims have not received compensation through the lawsuits.

“The overall question is why can’t we just get this case resolved?” said attorney Evan Walker, who represents about 600 flood victims.

Walker said the first trial date has been pushed back from October 2026 to February 2027. He said the delay is likely due to the complexity of the litigation, the large number of claims and the involvement of multiple third parties.

“Given the complexity and just the sheer number of claims and victims involved here, you just can’t treat it like a normal lawsuit,” Walker said.

Walker said the February 2027 proceeding, known as the Phase 1.1 trial, will be a bench trial over a constitutional issue that affects many flood victims, but the court’s ruling will only be limited to a specific block of Southcrest. Additional phases of litigation are expected to follow.

“We’re six months away from three years since the flood, and we’ve been in court this entire time,” Walker said. “The sense from the flood victims is they want to get this case resolved.”

The San Diego City Council discussed the first group of flood lawsuits in closed session on Monday. The city and City Attorney’s Office told News 8 it could not comment on pending litigation or individual claims.

Walker expects the legal process to continue for years. For Hill, the impact of the flooding remains part of daily life.

“To this day, I have sandbags in the front of my house and in the back of it because I’m traumatized,” Hill said.