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California Flood Stories

3,441 first-hand accounts of flood events in California, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.

Flash Flood

Los Angeles, CA · Jan 31, 2016

Another powerful winter storm took aim upon Southwestern California, bringing heavy rain and snow, thunderstorms, and gusty winds. Rainfall totals ranged from 0.50 to 1.50 inches across coastal and valley areas to up to 4.50 inches in the mountains.

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Flash Flood

Orange, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flash Flood

Orange, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flash Flood

San Diego, CA · Jan 5, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flash Flood

San Diego, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flash Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Aug 4, 2016

Enough monsoonal moisture made its way into the mountains and deserts to set off a few isolated thunderstorms, mainly in southwestern San Bernardino County.

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Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flood

Riverside, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flood

Riverside, CA · Jan 6, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flood

San Diego, CA · Jan 5, 2016

A strong, low latitude jet stream brought a series of storms through Southern California with periods of moderate to heavy rain/snow, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and high surf.

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Flood

Nevada, CA · Mar 13, 2016

A series of strong winter storms moved across northern California Friday through Monday. Storms just a few days earlier had area small creeks and streams running high.

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Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Oct 24, 2016

A widespread elevated thunderstorm event occurred across northern San Diego, Orange, western Riverside and southwest San Bernardino counties lasting up to 24 hours and producing 2500 cloud to ground strikes (4000 total flashes) over the land and California bight waters.

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Flood

El Dorado, CA · Mar 22, 2018

The first part of this storm consisted of warm air advection precipitation that spread through the northern Sierra. Moist upslope flow brought precipitation into Mono County at the same time.

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Flash Flood

San Diego, CA · Jul 11, 2018

Increased monsoonal moisture in Southern California resulted in numerous thunderstorms across the region. Flash flooding, debris flows, and lightning reported in the San Bernardino Mountains.

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Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 31, 2017

A large upper level ridge of warm air over the Great Basin brought persistent east to southeast flow over the region in late August. Strong flow and limited instability largely kept the convection below severe levels.

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Flood

Contra Costa, CA · Feb 9, 2019

A cold front moved through the region into February 10th lowering snow levels below 1500 ft, per the Bodega Bay Profiler. The areas peaks saw another dusting to several inches of snow as a result with Mount Hamilton recording almost 6 inches.

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Flash Flood

Sonoma, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flash Flood

Marin, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flash Flood

Sonoma, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flash Flood

Sonoma, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

Read the full account →
Flood

Sonoma, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flood

Napa, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flood

Alameda, CA · Dec 15, 2016

A slow moving cold front moved through the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area on Thursday, December 15, 2016. The front moved through the area slowly, producing moderate to locally heavy rain for several hours which resulted in nuerous reports of flooding, especially…

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Flash Flood

Kern, CA · Jan 5, 2017

Low pressure moving southeastward into central CA from the Pacific Northwest allowed subtropical moisture stream to be pumped into the region bringing heavy rainfall to the San Joaquin Valley and foothill areas. Orographic lifting caused intensification of rains at times.

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