Heavy New Year’s Day rain turned Alpha Project’s Bridge Shelter into a wading pool before dawn, as floodwater surged through the front entrance at 16th Street and Newton Avenue in Barrio Logan. Staff scrambled to evacuate hundreds of residents after water outside reportedly rose to chest height and climbed to roughly two feet near some bunk beds inside.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Alpha Project evacuated the Newton site early Jan. 1 after the flood rushed in through the tent’s front door. About 325 men and women were moved to the Balboa Park municipal gym, but many had to leave clothes, bedding and other personal belongings behind. Alpha Project CEO Bob McElroy told the paper residents are especially in need of socks, underwear and warmer clothing.
The city activated its inclement weather shelter program and posted guidance for additional shelter capacity, according to the Times of San Diego. Outreach partners worked through the night to get people into safe indoor spaces. At Balboa Park, city and nonprofit teams quickly set up temporary sleeping areas and service stations while crews began assessing the damage back at the shelter.
Repeated Problem at a Low-Lying Site
The Bridge Shelter sits in a low-lying section of Barrio Logan, and flooding is a familiar and unwelcome visitor. The site has gone underwater before, including high-water evacuations in 2018 and again during the January 2024 storms, as reported by Voice of San Diego. After the 2024 flooding, repair and sanitizing work was estimated at about $788,000, according to previous reporting in The San Diego Union-Tribune.
What Officials Say and Next Steps
Shelter leaders say city staff are now assessing the Newton Avenue site to figure out what repairs and cleanup will be needed this time. Alpha Project is coordinating temporary housing and services for everyone displaced, while outreach teams remain on site to help residents replace essential clothing and connect with longer-term shelter options as plans for repairs and reopening take shape.
Officials say they will post updates as assessments wrap up and recovery work begins. For now, the people pushed out by the storm are staying under city and nonprofit care at Balboa Park facilities.
