As city and county officials were mired in confusion, local nonprofits led the flood relief response
As floodwaters receded from the streets of southeastern San Diego on Jan. 22, two things began to happen. Several local nonprofits — not trained in disaster response — set up a victim assistance center at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA. At the same time, county and city officials had a series of extreme miscommunications that delayed the opening of a government-run assistance center within city limits for nearly two weeks, according to letters obtained by Voice of San Diego. Normally in the wake of a disaster, government officials open what they call a Local Assistance Center near the disaster site. These assistance centers connect survivors with government and non-government resources. A survivor could get anything from a new driver’s license to food or unemployment benefits.