San Diego Flood 2024 — Legal Representation for Flood Victims
The January 2024 San Diego floods were not simply a natural disaster. They were the foreseeable result of years of government neglect — a city that failed to maintain its stormwater infrastructure, ignored the warnings, and left its most vulnerable communities exposed when the rain came. Entire neighborhoods were devastated. Homes were destroyed. Families lost everything they had built.
Brett Schreiber is a San Diego attorney who grew up and lives in this community. He was among the first to respond publicly — appearing on CBS 8 and Fox 5 in February 2024 to connect flood victims with legal resources and hold the City accountable. Through town halls organized in partnership with Alliance San Diego, he and his team brought together hundreds of affected residents, trusted community organizations, and legal advocates to coordinate a collective legal strategy.
That litigation is now active and ongoing. Over 700 San Diego residents have filed lawsuits against the City of San Diego. If you were affected by the January 2024 floods and have not yet had your situation evaluated, contact Brett's office today.
Brett Schreiber at San Diego flood town halls, February 2024 — working with Alliance San Diego to connect flood victims with legal resources and community support.
Active Litigation
700+ San Diego Residents Have Filed Suit Against the City — Litigation Is Ongoing
In September 2024, over 700 residents filed lawsuits against the City of San Diego alleging the City's failure to maintain Chollas Creek directly caused or exacerbated the devastating January 2024 flooding. In February 2026, the City approved a $6.3 million settlement with 17 insurance carriers — but flood survivors have not yet been compensated. The fight for justice for individual victims continues.
Source: NBC 7 San Diego, CBS 8, Fox 5 — February 2026
The 2024 San Diego Floods: A Planning Failure, Not Just a Weather Event
In January 2024, relentless winter storms brought historic rainfall to San Diego. The flooding that followed devastated neighborhoods across the city — particularly communities along Chollas Creek, a major stormwater drainage channel that runs through some of San Diego's most densely populated and historically underserved neighborhoods.
The central allegation in the litigation is straightforward: the City of San Diego knew for years that its stormwater infrastructure — and Chollas Creek specifically — was inadequate and in need of significant maintenance and improvement. It failed to act. When the storms came, that failure had catastrophic consequences for hundreds of families.
Areas Most Severely Affected
The flooding caused widespread damage across multiple San Diego communities, with the most severe impacts concentrated in neighborhoods along the Chollas Creek corridor, including areas of Shelltown, Mountain View, Encanto, and surrounding communities in southeastern San Diego.
The Legal Basis: Dangerous Condition of Public Property
Under California Government Code § 835, a public entity can be held liable for injury or damage caused by a dangerous condition of public property when the entity had notice of the condition — either actual or constructive — and failed to take reasonable action to protect against it. Stormwater infrastructure that is known to be inadequate and has not been properly maintained is exactly the type of dangerous condition this statute addresses.
Brett Schreiber has a demonstrated track record with this theory of liability. His $23.5 million jury verdict in a dangerous conditions of public property case — one of the Top 100 civil verdicts in America and a Top 10 verdict in California — establishes his ability to hold government defendants accountable for infrastructure failures that injure and kill.
What Flood Victims Can Recover
San Diego residents whose homes, businesses, and personal property were damaged or destroyed in the January 2024 flooding may be entitled to compensation for:
- Property damage and destruction — Structural damage to homes, loss of personal belongings, damage to vehicles, and costs of repair or replacement
- Temporary housing and relocation costs — Expenses incurred while displaced from your home
- Lost income — Wages or business income lost due to displacement or property damage
- Emotional distress — The psychological toll of losing your home, your possessions, and your sense of security
- Other economic losses — Out-of-pocket costs directly caused by the flooding and its aftermath
Community Commitment
This isn't just litigation. It's accountability — for the people who were failed and for the neighborhoods that deserve better.
Brett Schreiber has hosted multiple in-person and virtual town halls with flood victims, partnering with Alliance San Diego to bridge language and access barriers. His goal is not just compensation for individual clients — it is systemic change at City Hall to ensure the infrastructure investments these neighborhoods have long been owed. What happens in the state house directly affects what happens in the courthouse, and Brett brings both to bear on behalf of flood survivors.
The City's $6.3 Million Settlement with Insurers — And Why Flood Survivors Still Haven't Been Paid
In February 2026, the San Diego City Council approved a $6.3 million settlement with 17 insurance carriers that had paid out property damage claims following the January 2024 floods. The insurers — exercising subrogation rights — had sued the City to recover what they paid their policyholders. The City settled with them.
But the individual flood victims — the families who lost their homes, their belongings, and their sense of security — have not yet been compensated. The City's willingness to settle promptly with billion-dollar insurance companies while individual survivors wait is precisely why this litigation must continue, and why Brett Schreiber issued a public statement following the settlement calling on the City to treat flood survivors with the same urgency.
FEMA Assistance and Your Legal Rights
Many flood victims applied for FEMA assistance in the aftermath of the January 2024 storms. It is important to understand that receiving FEMA aid does not prevent you from pursuing legal claims against the City of San Diego — and in many cases FEMA assistance will not fully compensate you for your losses.
FEMA assistance is designed to provide basic relief — not to make you whole. A legal claim against the responsible government entity is a separate and independent path to full compensation for your losses.
Deadlines and Next Steps
Claims against California government entities are subject to strict procedural requirements under the California Government Claims Act. Standard deadlines for property damage and personal injury claims against a government entity are six months from the date of the incident. The primary filing windows following the January 2024 floods have passed for many claimants — but the litigation is ongoing and certain exceptions and tolling arguments may apply depending on your specific situation.
If you have not yet had your situation evaluated, do not assume it is too late. Contact Brett's office immediately for a confidential assessment of your options.
Contact Brett Schreiber
The City settled with the insurers. Now it's time for flood survivors to be heard.
If you or your family were affected by the January 2024 San Diego floods, contact Brett Schreiber for a free, confidential case evaluation. No upfront costs, no fees unless he wins compensation for you.
Call: (619) 393-3881
Frequently Asked Questions: San Diego Flood 2024
Can I still file a lawsuit for the January 2024 San Diego floods?
Litigation is actively ongoing. While standard government claim windows have passed for many claimants, the lawsuit is continuing and certain tolling arguments may apply. Contact Brett's office immediately for a confidential evaluation of your specific situation — do not assume it is too late without speaking to an attorney.
Who is responsible for the 2024 San Diego flooding?
The litigation alleges that the City of San Diego bears responsibility for the flooding due to its long-term failure to properly maintain and improve Chollas Creek and the city's stormwater drainage infrastructure. The flooding was not purely a natural disaster — it was the foreseeable result of years of government neglect of critical public infrastructure in affected neighborhoods.
What damages can San Diego flood victims recover?
Flood victims may recover compensation for property damage and destruction, personal property losses, temporary housing and relocation costs, lost income, emotional distress, and other economic losses caused by the flooding and its aftermath.
Does receiving FEMA assistance affect my ability to sue the City?
No. FEMA assistance and a legal claim against the City of San Diego are separate and independent. Receiving FEMA aid does not bar you from pursuing full compensation through litigation. FEMA benefits are typically limited and will not make most flood victims whole — a legal claim is the path to full recovery.
Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. This page is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.