When San Diego Hired A Rainmaker and Got A Disaster

In 1915, in order to fill the Morena Reservoir as quickly as possible, the City of San Diego hired a rainmaker named Charles Hatfield to put an end to a years long drought. The rains that would come, whether brought on by the rainmaker or not, led to the worst disaster in the city's history.

The Rainmaker began his work at Lake Morena in early 1916, and shortly thereafter it rained in Southern California for almost two weeks straight. In San Diego roads and bridges were destroyed, rivers flooded, and the telephone was taken out. The only way to reach the city was by boat. Several of the area's reservoirs were overflowing.

After about two weeks the rains stopped, but the rainmaker continued his work and the rains returned. Within a week, the Lower Otay Dam failed, and a 40 foot high flood of water raced towards the ocean, destroying everything in its path.

In this video we visit Lake Morena, where the rainmaker did his work, and the Lower Otay Reservoir, where the dam failed, causing the worst disaster in San Diego's history.

[crabchild]

Yay, Sidetrack Adventure day! Let's go see, Steve!

[onemanswrld]

I lived in San Diego for 20 years and never knew about this....well done...

[margiemorales]

Charles Hatfield had a house in my town, Valley Center in North San Diego County, just off the intersection of Woods Valley and Valley Center Rd. It was torn down a few years ago. There was a great write up about him in the Valley Center Road Runner newspaper. Great video, Steve. Thank you!

[AndyMetz-xq]

Another outstanding historical video by Sidetrack Steve

[fearsomebeard]

The first time I heard this story was in the kitchen of my landlord’s home in Mission Hills shortly after moving to San Diego in 1991. She was a young girl in 1916 living in Mission Hills above Mission Valley and the San Diego River. She said that standing at the top edge of the valley just down the street from her Childhood home on Trias street she could see the water covered the entire valley floor from one side to the other. The thing she remembered most were the snakes as they had been displaced from the valley floor and filled the neighborhood above. She said there were snakes everywhere and that people were pissed and wanted the rainmakers head.

[SpanishEclectic]

Great presentation, and I appreciate that you included respect to the Japanese workers who perished in the flood. This area of California has such crazy weather; droughts for years, and then deluges of rain. I love seeing those old photos of Mission Valley. I grew up here in San Diego, and recall the little farmhouse and fields at the bottom of the hill. My husband's great-grandfather moved from Canada to El Cajon in the 1890s, and there are family stories about a big flood. Always appreciate these Wednesday outings. :)

[wilsonpicket]

San Diego native here who never knew any of that! Thank you!

[Katnip]

Lived in San Diego my first 40 years and I don’t recall ever visiting that reservoir. 🌧️

Thanks, Steve.

[q]

Lower Otay dam was an interesting construction mix, the concrete footings and steel or iron cable retention rods are visible on the edges of the new dam, there are still iron sheets at the footings. Apparently, the dam had an earthen fill. There is a large iron scroll type pump down the valley, carried there when the dam failed also on the West side a mile from the dam is a room with a concrete door frame that was dug out of the rock, it was used for powder storage. The cliff collapse is a personal thing, a friend and I were out hiking the area and noticed cracks in the ground, a trail we used went down to the valley floor there. We went back a day or so later to check on it and the cliff had collapsed leaving an almost vertical wall. On one of our hikes we noticed that the doors to the dam interior were open, so we climbed up out of the valley by the spillway and entered the dam, at the bottom where you see a door and a pipe there is a small area with a large valve and the door to go outside. when we reached the West side door, there were several large civil defense containers with hardtack biscuits and canned drinking water, apparently the dam was supposed to be a fallout shelter. We were also met by the park ranger, but he didn't chew us out for being inside the dam, he asked if the lock was on the door which it wasn't and whether it looked like anything had been damaged. Now 40 years later, I doubt I could make the hike down to the valley floor and climb back up like we did back then.

[dwight]

Steve, you definitely have a special combination of talents to produce these historical videos in such a unique and enjoyable way.

thank you

[HazMat]

There was a railroad track that ran along the San Luis Rey River in north San Diego County that was washed out during the 1916 flood. And awesome video!!!

[rogertemple]

I remember reading about something like this in an old True West magazine years ago when rainmakers were trying to make it rain with shooting fireworks and explosive things to the sky some were successful but many weren't and I've seen tv shows and movies about similar events in western towns trying to make it rain like on Bonanza and Gunsmoke but I liked seeing this about Charles Hatfield thanks again Steve.🌧🏞🌧

[adave]

14:48 I love how that last newspaper clipping put everything in air quotes.

[davidlarson]

It’s not just a crying shame but it is also a dam shame. (sorry. lol) I remember my dad telling me about Hatfield back in the 50s and reading about in later in Desert Magazine. I wish you covered more of the damage done to Padres dam and Mission valley. Great story telling. Steve. You are becoming quite an historian.

[SuperMickey]

While I've heard this story before, I enjoyed your presentation the most.
Good maps, articles, and boots on the ground to put our eyes and ears on the history and geography of those events.

[darrellsimms]

Thank you Steve. I really appreciate the respect you show toward those who perished in the tragedy. Shows sensitivity and real class. This was a really memorable one. Good job.

[Sivadleugim]

Thanks for the great videos Steve. Brought back sad memories from the late 90's. Luis Santiago a fellow Border Patrol agent who fell to his death just a few feet from that same cliff you got close to. I was assigned to the Dam area and we switch assignments a couple of hours earlier. RIP Luisito.😢

[RowanHawkins]

You always seem to find the most colorful stories.

[seneschal]

I've always loved this story. I've read articles and whatnot throughout the years that say these 'every 100 year floods' are cyclical and we're overdue in Mission Valley for another one, and I used to think about that a lot when I worked there for years.

[michaelm]

Some of the best fishing in San Diego county and one of the best kept secrets..