Rain is Gone: Now What About the Potholes?

With heavy raindrops no longer falling down, lots of little—and big—problems are popping up: potholes.

"A rainstorm of this magnitude will certainly cause an outbreak of potholes," said Darren Pudgil, a spokesman in Mayor Jerry Sanders' office. "Our goal is to respond to pothole calls within 72 hours, but city crews will probably need more time given the high volume of requests."

Heavy rains like those Rancho Bernardo has seen over the past few days often cause new potholes to form due to cold water seeping into asphalt and cracking it. The potholes are no fun for residents to look at—they are among the most complained about issues, city officials say—and even worse to hit with their cars.

Running over a pothole can cause damage to a vehicle's tires and suspension components, according to Steve Mazor at the Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center.

Residents should report potholes to the city and, if there are issues, contact City Councilman Carl DeMaio's office, said Jeff Powell, spokesman for the councilman who represents Rancho Bernardo.

"City services should be able to still respond to pothole fixes within the allotted time," Powell said.

According to the Street Division's website, the city repairs more than 30,000 potholes each year. Since many roads are still wet right now, workers may have to wait to start patching up the roads.

Put in a request for pothole repairs by calling the Street Division at 619-527-7500 or by filling out a request form online.

If there are issues with the request not being fulfilled, Powell said RB residents should contact Jack Straw, the RB community representative for DeMaio's office, at 619-236-6655 or by e-mail at jstraw@sandiego.gov.

The Automobile Club of Southern California also offers the following tips for drivers to stay safe on pothole-ridden roads:

• Maintain proper air pressure. The right air pressure provides more cushion between the tire rim and the pothole, which can mitigate some of the damage. To find the right pressure for your car, consult the owner's manual, a sticker on the driver's side door jamb or inside the fuel filler flap.
• Slow down and hold the wheel firmly when driving over multiple potholes.
• Try not to brake directly over a pothole. This will shift the vehicle's weight to the front and worsen damage from the impact of hitting the pothole.
• Watch out for water that obscures how deep a pothole is. "Hitting even one severe pothole could alter the alignment of a wheel from suspension damage resulting in uneven tire wear," Mazor said. Uneven tire wear could hasten the need to replace the tires.
• Keep extra distance between cars in front of you so that you can see if there are potholes in the road.