SAN DIEGO — Irvin Torian hasn't slept much since flood waters ravaged the Mountain View home he lives in.
“It was real scary. Me and my girlfriend were here and we have two puppies but the water was so high it was above everything,” said Torian.
Instead, he's been busy cleaning up debris, the first step in a list of many as he tries to rebuild. Torian's backyard, which used to have grass, is a mud pit. The fence is covered with leaves, branches and shrubbery that got stuck when the channel it backs up to flooded over.
“It’s like a net now," said Torian.
Torian grew up in the area and said the channel hasn't been maintained. Most of the people CBS 8 talked to agree.
They're now left wondering where to go for help.
How to get help
CBS 8 reached out to Jeff Toney, who is in charge of San Diego County's Office of Emergency Services.
According to the county here's what people should do:
- People should contact their insurance agent to see what coverage they have.
- Complete a survey on alertsandiego.org.
- Using that information, the county can better assess the damage and use it to apply for state and federal funding.
- If you need food, supplies, or a place to stay, contact the Red Cross. They're the organization in charge of the shelter over at Lincoln High School.
In need of immediate financial help? Toney said there's nothing like that available right now.
“Unfortunately no,” said Toney.
Toney said accessing funding takes time, but the more people who fill out the county survey, the better chance people have of getting that assistance.
In the meantime, he and his team are working with local non-profits to see who can offer help as soon as possible.
“Recovery can be daunting. It can take a long time, especially if you have damage to your home. Rest assured we're doing everything we can to work for San Diegans so they can get back to normal.” said Toney.
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