Qualcomm Stadium takes in thousands of refugees

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An estimated 2,500 evacuees streamed to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego’s Mission Valley area north of downtown, bringing their dogs, cats, children, necessities and a sense of anxiety over the fate of their homes.

Roopa Raghu, 21, who moved to San Diego three months ago from India, was anxious as news broadcasts on the stadium’s monitors showed flames threatening her Rancho Bernardo apartment complex.

‘We don’t know what we will do next,’ Raghu said. ‘But I won’t go back to India. We should face all these experiences in our life and see what comes next.’

Gesturing to hundreds of others in the crowd, she said, ‘We are not alone.’

George Biagi, a deputy spokesman for Mayor Jerry Sanders, said residents were doing their best to help one another through the crisis.

Hundreds of volunteers came to the stadium to pass out water and food. The stadium’s club lounge was turned into a medical triage area and a resting place for evacuees with special needs, while the Chargers’ practice area was turned over to pets.

‘Clearly, this is a somber time for a lot of folks,’ he said. ‘But in typical San Diego fashion, everyone is pitching in.’

Biagi said the mayor had put out pleas for snacks, water, cots, blankets and pillows to help over the next several days. He compared the devastation to the Cedar fire that ravaged San Diego four years ago and kept many people out of their homes for days.

-- Alex Pham