SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The City of San Diego approved a $6.3 million settlement to several insurance companies over the January 2024 floods.

The settlement got its final stamp of approval in council chambers on Tuesday.

Seventeen insurance companies filed four subrogation lawsuits in an effort to recover the property damage claims they paid out to their clients after the floods.

“We haven’t forgotten about what happened or the responsibilities we have moving forward,” Councilmember Sean Elo Rivera said during Tuesday’s meeting after the unanimous vote to approve the settlement, which had already been voted on in a November closed session.

But many victims, including Jessica Calix, are still waiting on their own pending lawsuits and said they are frustrated that the insurance companies got paid first.

“It’s been the most devastating thing I’ve experienced in my life,” Jessia Calix said.

She said she lost everything when her apartment flooded.

“Everything I owned in my 41 years of life is gone,” Calix said. “My father’s ashes were in the flood.”

Now Jessica and her 10-year-old son live in an RV Park, as she saves and waits.

“Even if I got a payout today, it wouldn’t put me in a house tomorrow because we’re all at a deficit,” Calix said. She didn’t have insurance, and many victims’ insurance plans didn’t cover the flooding damage.

On top of climbing out of the hole the flood put her in, she now has to begin repaying her $30,000 FEMA loan.

“Whatever stability that you had at that point, it was lost, generational wealth was literally washed away,” Calix said.

She’s one of about 1,500 flood victims who are suing the City of San Diego.

“We’re suing for support to basically rebuild our lives,” Calix said.

Her attorney, Domenic Martini, represents about half of the 1,500 flood victims with lawsuits. He believes the claims against the city add up to hundreds of millions of dollars, and is calling the settlement with the insurance companies “progress.”

“While we appreciate that the city is taking responsibility for the floods at this point, it leaves victims wondering what happens next for them,” Martini said. “This multi-million dollar payout to insurance companies, it doesn’t go to the victims, and so the victims are sitting here wondering, ‘well is the city going to take responsibility for my case? When are we going to get paid and finally be able to rebuild?’”

The lawsuit against the city has a trial date set for Oct. 2, but it’s possible the city could settle before then.

Meantime, Jessica and her son are holding onto hope for what comes next.

“What breaks my heart the most is to have to see him recover,” she said. “This is his future, to hear that they are valuing these insurance companies over my son’s life and his future is just horrible.”

The insurance carriers are as follows, according to the city: Palomar Specialty Insurance Company, Palomar Excess and Surplus Insurance Company, Allied World Assurance Company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Tokio Marine Kiln Holdings, Inc., Federated Mutual Insurance Company, Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Northbrook Indemnity Company, Esurance Property and Casualty, Encompass Insurance Company, Integon National Insurance Company, Integon Preferred Insurance, National General Insurance Company, Insurance Company of the West, Mercury Insurance Company, California Automobile Insurance Company, and Certain Underwriters of Lloyd’s London.

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