National City business owners file lawsuit over January flooding – NBC 7 San Diego

National City business owners are joining a growing list of businesses suing the city, county and other organizations for the Jan. 22 floods.

The complaint, which was filed on Dec. 3, accuses these entities of being responsible for the damages caused to their businesses and properties. Two business owners told NBC 7 they want the cities and entities listed on the complaint to be held accountable for the damages and losses their negligence has caused them.

Video shows Alcaraz Appliances underwater during this year’s flooding in January.

“Every minute, the water kept rising to the point of reaching our knees,” Cesar Alcaraz said in Spanish.

Alcaraz said his store was damaged by the contaminated water, resulting in a total loss of inventory. He said he lost two months of sales trying to recover and estimates $150 million in losses.

His neighbor, Jesus Garcia, understands his struggle. Garcia owns Star Auto Group, a used car dealership.

Garcia said, like Alcaraz, he also tried to get the city to send someone to unclog the storm drains when they noticed the water levels rising.

“The first three times that I called them, they pretty much told me they were on their way. They were going to send help,” Garcia said.

After no one showed up, Garcia said he called a fourth time.

“That’s when they told me that, unfortunately, they don’t have any personnel to come help us, so pretty much to get out and make sure that we’re safe on our own,” Garcia said.

The floods damaged about 17 of his used cars, according to Garcia.

“I was not able to sell cars for about 2-3 months,” Garcia said.

He estimates the damages to his cars totaled $130,000, in addition to $70,000 in revenue. Those are expenses, he said, have forced him to close shop.

“It was very stressful for me, and I don’t have the funds to do it right now,” Garcia said.

Both Alcaraz and Garcia are joining in a lawsuit hoping to regain some of what they’ve lost. The complaint accuses the cities of San Diego and National City, along with the county and other entities, of negligence, claiming they failed to maintain the drains and keep them clear of debris.

The complaint is asking for $40 million in damages, which they claim could have been prevented.

“I’ve lost so much,” Garcia said. “I’ve invested so much in my business, and in order for me to find something else as close to what I had is going to be really hard, and it’s going to be really expensive.”

The city of San Diego and Caltrans told NBC 7 they do not comment on active litigation.

Meanwhile, the Port of San Diego said, “We empathize with those who were deeply and adversely affected by the storm, and we’ll review the case once we’re served with the lawsuit.”

The city of San Diego is set to discuss the lawsuit on Monday in a closed session meeting.