3,441 first-hand accounts of flood events in California, ranked by impact. Each is a NOAA-written narrative of the moment.
A convergence line over the southeast corner of the Southern San Joaquin Valley led to low-topped convection in a line from East Bakersfield southward toward Lamont.
Read the full account →August 9th marked the 21st consecutive day with thunderstorms in the San Diego forecast area. A large MCS moved southwest out of Nevada during the morning hours and swept across the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego County deserts that afternoon.
Read the full account →Thunderstorms developed across Joshua Tree National Park during the early afternoon hours on September 7th. Due to the very moist and unstable nature of the atmosphere, the thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall with rain rates well in excess of one inch per hour.
Read the full account →Tropical moisture from former tropical storm Ivo lingered across southeast California on August 25th, and as a result the airmass was very moist and unstable. Due to the very moist nature of the atmosphere, a Flash Flood Watch was in effect.
Read the full account →Copious amounts of tropical moisture streamed northward into far southeastern California on August 24th, ahead of dissipating former tropical storm Ivo.
Read the full account →A series of significant winter storms impacted the district during late November and early December 2012. The first storm arrived November 28 and then was followed by three more winter storms.
Read the full account →Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of eastern Riverside county during the late morning hours on July 18th and they continued into the afternoon.
Read the full account →Very moist and unstable conditions were present across Joshua Tree National Park on July 19th, due in large part to a significant infusion of tropical moisture from former hurricane Dolores.
Read the full account →July rounded out with another shot of monsoon moisture and thunderstorms as high pressure shifted back westward over the Four Corners on the 29th and 30th. The main drivers for storms were terrain and outflow boundary collisions.
Read the full account →The month began with a ridge of high pressure over the Great Basin and moderate easterly flow in the mid and upper levels. This allowed monsoon moisture to surge into the southern half of California August 1st-3rd.
Read the full account →A strong low pressure system made its way through Northern and Central California accompanied by deep tropical moisture and very strong winds. Heavy rain combined with the wind to cause numerous trees, tree limbs and pole/telephone powers to fall.
Read the full account →Thunderstorms developed across portions of central Riverside county during the late morning hours on August 3rd, and they intensified into the early afternoon, producing very heavy rainfall.
Read the full account →A weak, upper-level trough of low pressure moved through the West on the 16th, with scattered showers and high elevation snow. Showers lingered through the night, before a second, stronger trough moved through the region on the 17th.
Read the full account →Strong thunderstorms developed over the northern Sacramento Valley, dropping large hail, up to 3 inches in diameter. There was also large amounts of small hail, up to 5 inches deep, bringing slippery road conditions, clogging storm drains and causing vehicle accidents.
Read the full account →There was a break in the weather during most of the day of December 18th, but the next storm arrived during the late afternoon and continued overnight and into the next day. By the time midnight arrived, Bakersfield had recorded a record 1.37 inch of rain.
Read the full account →An upper level low moving over Southern California generated scattered showers and thunderstorms. On the night of the 13th, a strong thunderstorm with very heavy rain and hail formed over the city of San Bernardino.
Read the full account →A winter storm that took two days to cross Southwest California created near blizzard conditions in the mountains, forcing the closure of all roads. In San Bernardino County, the Wrightwood received between 27 and 60 inches of snow.
Read the full account →A cold, upper-level closed low developed along the Central Coast and drifted south before stalling over southern California on the 23rd. Heavy showers began in the northern areas, spreading slowly south into San Diego County.
Read the full account →Heavy rain occurred between 1800 to 1900 PST in the Kern County Desert area that led to flash flooding in California City from Cache Creek and extensive sheet flow through the area.
Read the full account →A series of storm systems, part of a large Atmospheric River type of pattern, impacted the area during late December 2012. From the 21st through 26th of December, heavy rain, gusty winds, flooding, and mudslides occurred across the Bay Area in these consecutive events.
Read the full account →A strong low pressure system made its way through Northern and Central California accompanied by deep tropical moisture and very strong winds. Heavy rain combined with the wind to cause numerous trees, tree limbs and pole/telephone powers to fall.
Read the full account →The stable weather pattern continued through November 27th. The first in a series of east-Pacific storms approached the northern part of the central California interior that evening.
Read the full account →Heavy rain from slow moving thunderstorms caused flooding along Highway 74 at Vista Point, along Palm Canyon Wash between Palm Springs and Catherdal City, and washed out Highway 86 in Indio between Avenue 66 and Avenue 80.
Read the full account →A strong trough moved inland along the California Coast on the 31st. The trough was accompanied by a surface low that rapidly deepened in the Southern California Bight and an exceptionally strong Pacific Cold Front.
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