Fair Weather on Way After Drenching by Record Rain

A fierce winter storm that closed roads and poured record-setting rainfall on San Diego County departed Thursday, setting the stage for warmer temperatures and the return of sunshine, weather forecasters said.

The downpour, which created the wettest Dec. 16 in history, was linked to one death--that of an 8-year-old Imperial Beach girl who was apparently overcome by carbon monoxide fumes that spewed from a wall heater in her home--and snarled traffic with up to nine inches of now in the mountains.

A snow advisory was still in effect Thursday night, and chains were required on California 78 from Santa Ysabel to Banner, and up California 79 from Descanso to Julian. Some roads were closed because of flooding.

The heavy rains caused thousands of gallons of raw sewage to gush into the ocean at La Jolla Cove and into Mission Bay at De Anza Cove Wednesday and Thursday, a county Department of Health Services spokesman said.

Contamination Warnings

De Anza Cove was closed after heavy rains caused a manhole to overflow with about 36,000 gallons of sewage Wednesday night, according Lyn Wallis, a health services spokesman. An additional 30,000 gallons poured into the cove early Thursday morning at East Mission Bay Drive and Rosewood Street, said Yvonne Rehg, spokeswoman for the city Water Utilities Department.

Signs warning of sewage contamination, which were already posted because of a Dec. 5 spill, were extended to include the entire cove, Wallis said.

Heavy rainfall and snow on the ground Wednesday night in Pine Valley and Jacumba prompted Mountain Empire Unified School District Superintendent Jerry Miller, to close schools Thursday for 1,700 students.

“Kids are probably at home today (Thursday) celebrating the superintendent’s error,� he said, “because here it is Thursday, and we have no snow, just rain.

“About 95% of our kids ride buses to school, with about 50% having to walk up to three miles, just to get to the bus stops.�

The National Weather Service measured 1.55 inches of rain at Lindbergh Field between the beginning of the storm Wednesday morning and Thursday night, forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said.

Oceanside, where 1.90 inches of rain fell during the two-day storm, received the county’s heaviest precipitation.

About 9 inches of snow hit the ground at Mount Laguna, and most areas at 4,000 feet and above reported snow.

“Earlier in the week snow was falling as far down as 1,500 feet, although the basic snow level line remained at around 3,000 feet,� Shigehara said.

San Diegans may see partly cloudy skies today, Saturday and Sunday, but, according to Shigehara, the county has seen the last of the rain.

“We do have another storm brewing in the Gulf of Alaska, although this one should dissipate before it reaches San Diego on Sunday,� Shigehara said.

Mild Days Due

“We can look forward to mild days this weekend, with temperatures not expected to drop below the 30s in the inland valleys and the 40s along the coast,� he said, “although we may have a touch of frost in the cold inland areas.�

About 300 homeless people stayed at the city’s emergency shelter in the Municipal Gymnasium at Balboa Park Wednesday, according to Ross McCallum, spokesman for the San Diego city manager’s office. Ninety-one people stayed there Tuesday night, when city officials quickly opened the shelter under the threat of rain and plunging temperatures.

Eager to aid the homeless during the frigid days ahead, county officials have begun outfitting several area National Guard armories with cots and other necessities.

The effort was made possible when Gov. George Deukmejian on Tuesday ordered the California National Guard to open their armories to the homeless as overnight shelters against the winter cold.

Bob Kleinschmidt, a San Diego County special assistant for community affairs, said the doors were opened Thursday night to one of the huge warehouses in El Cajon.

Another of the facilities, which are normally used by National Guard volunteers during weekend drills, is to gear up tonight in Vista. Thursday night, many of North County’s homeless bedded down at a temporary facility set up by the Salvation Army in Escondido.

Kleinschmidt said cots are being provided by the county Office of Disaster Preparedness. In addition, local churches in the areas are being asked to provide basic provisions such as some food and toilet needs.

No armory in the South Bay is being opened, Kleinschmidt said, because officials of cities there have not received requests for help. He speculated that many of the homeless there have made their way north to San Diego during the cold spell and are holing up in the gym at Balboa Park.

Almost a week of cold Arctic chills and heavy winds sent gas and electricity consumption levels at an all time high, according to San Diego Gas & Electric Co. spokesman Fred Vaughn.

“Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. San Diegans used 2,378 megawatts of electricity, which breaks the record of 2,376 megawatts used Aug. 16, 1986,� he said.

“This is the first time in more than a decade that we’ve set an all-time energy demand record during the winter. Usually it gets set during the summer months.�

About 12,000 customers lost electricity at some time during the storm. By Thursday, only a single power outage, which cut off electricity to a few hundred customers in downtown San Diego, remained.

The gas consumption record was set Monday, when customers used 453 million cubic feet of natural gas, Vaughn said.

Three surviving members of an Imperial Beach family apparently overcome Wednesday by carbon monoxide fumes from a wall heater were recovering at UCSD Medical Center Thursday. The accident claimed the life of 8-year-old Roseanne Keefe, whose mother, father and brother were found unconscious in their home.

David Keefe, 36, and Rosario Keefe, 39, were reported in fair condition Thursday night, while their son David Keefe Jr., 5, was listed in serious condition in UCSD’s intensive care unit, according to UC San Diego Medical Center spokeswomen Sheri Smith.

“We placed the three in a hyperbaric chamber for 148 minutes--standard treatment time for this type of injury--which helps remove the poisonous gas from the victim’s systems,� she said.

Authorities believe the four had been in their apartment in the 500 block of 7th Street for about two days when they were discovered shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday. It was unclear how long they had been unconscious, according to a San Diego County Sheriff’s spokesman.

The driver of a vehicle in a spectacular weather-related accident was released Thursday from Kaiser Permanente Hospital. Carolina Mouritzen’s car plunged 30 feet from an elevated Interstate 5 off-ramp onto Pacific Highway Wednesday, but hospital officials said she suffered no major injuries.

Although the rain-slicked streets were enough to catch drivers off guard Wednesday and Thursday, the California Highway Patrol only reported minor fender-benders.

Several roads and streets remained completely or partially closed Thursday, according to Ed Lynch of the Sheriff’s Department. Camino de la Reina and Avenida del Rio in Mission Valley; at Nate Harrison Grade and California 76; Rancho Santa Fe Road, east of Encinitas Boulevard, and Monument Boulevard in San Ysidro.

In the weekend outlook, highs along the coast will range from 57 to 75 degrees today, with overnight lows from 30 to 37. Highs on Saturday will range from 62 to 66, with lows in the 45- to 50-degree range. Highs on Sunday will range from 65 to 70, with lows from 48 to 55.

Surf will range from four to six feet through Sunday, with ocean temperature at 55 degrees.

Extreme high tides are also in the weekend outlook, peaking at 6.7 feet today, 7.1 on Saturday, and 7.4 on Sunday.

“Because we won’t have any storm activity, these high tides aren’t expected to cause any damage to structures along the coast,� forecaster Shigehara said.

Highs in the inland valley areas will range from 59 to 65 today, with lows from 30 to 38. Highs on Saturday will be between 63 to 68, with lows from 35 to 43. Sunday highs will be in the 65 to 70, with lows from 38 to 45.

Mountain area highs will range from 35 to 45 today, with lows from 15 to 25. Highs on Saturday will range from 40 to 45, warming slightly on Sunday, with lows from 20 to 28m both days.

Desert area highs will range from 52 to 60 today with lows from 35 to 42. Highs on Saturday will be in the 56 to 65 range, with lows from 38 to 45. Sunday highs will range from 62 to 68 on Sunday, with lows from 40 to 48.