San Diego County is expected to start drying out Friday, one day after widespread heavy rains flooded roads and forced rescues, including of two people trapped in a car by rising San Diego River flood waters in Fashion Valley. A San Diego lifeguard team came to the aid of an adult and a child trappe d in a car at the mall there, said Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Candace Hadley, who was at the scene. That rescue was one of 11 across the city on Thursday, including a helicopter rescue of a person walking near Lake Hodges, she said. Many areas — including downtown San Diego, Mission Valley, Alpine, Poway and Escondido — were drenched Thursday with more than 2 inches in just 12 hours, rainfall that National Weather Service meteorologist Philip Gonsalves called “pretty remarkable.” Members of the San Diego Lifeguard River Rescue Team help a man they rescued from the flooded San Diego River in Mission Valley during a storm on January 1, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Throughout the day, flooding closed an onramp to state Route 78 in Oceanside, snarled commutes on Interstate 5 around Del Mar and forced road closures and detours in the Mile of Cars area in National City. The rain slowed Interstate 15 traffic when a tractor-trailer hydroplaned, crashed and jack-knifed. And San Diego activated its inclement weather program for homeless shelters for the second day in a row, boosting capacity. By midday, the worst of the rain was over. But the National Weather Service warned there could still be flooding of the San Diego River in Fashion Valley through Friday afternoon. San Diego police officers, standing on state Route 163, and members of the San Diego Lifeguard River Rescue Team look for people after the San Diego River overflowed and flooded areas in Mission Valley on Jan. 1, 2026, in San Diego. Several people were rescued throughout the day. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune) “We had some fairly intense rainfall that was more or less concentrated right in Mission Valley, essentially covering most of the San Diego River basin,” Gonsalves said. “That caused the river to rise rapidly.” Light showers were expected to taper off late Thursday, and forecasters expect drier weather Friday. A vehicle parked on Camino De La Reina in Mission Valley was submerged after the San Diego River overflowed and flooded the area during a storm on January 1, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune) The weekend could bring more chances of light to moderate showers across the county. But rain isn’t expected to contribute to coastal flooding, even as the last king tides of the season arrive Friday and Saturday. Hadley cautioned Thursday afternoon that despite clearing skies, many roads remained flooded. She urged drivers not to cross even partially flooded roads. Anyone whose car gets stuck should stay put, call 9-1-1 and wait for help. ...read more read less