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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$20K damage

San Diego, CA · Sep 5, 2009

On September 5th, copious low-level moisture over the deserts combined with extensive daytime heating and an upper-level trough triggered a massive severe thunderstorm over the San Diego County deserts just south of Ocotillo Wells.

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Flood$20K damage

Northern Sacramento Valley, CA · Dec 29, 1996

Heavy rains and snow pack melted by a subtropical airmass began on the 26th, creating flooding on the upper Sacramento River. The flooding began on the 29th at the Tehama Bridge gage (Tehama county).

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Flood$20K damage

Kern, CA · May 5, 1998

An active thunderstorm band moved from southwest to northeast through west Kern County with 1/2-inch hail reported at Buena Vista Lake at 1403 PDT...torrential rain in southwest Bakersfield by 1515 PDT leading to widespread urban flooding...and flooding again in northeast…

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Flood$20K damage

Orange, CA · Mar 5, 2000

A winter storm started out on the evening of Saturday, March 4 with heavy wet snow at the higher elevations and heavy rain and flooding at the lower elevations. Sustained 40 knot winds overnight caused heavy surf and several boats to lose their anchorage.

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Flood$20K damage

Tulare, CA · Oct 29, 2007

An upper-level low developed off Point Conception by October 27, and slowly drifted northeast toward the central California coast. The low pulled a moist, tropical airmass, including remnants from former Tropical Storm Kiko, into the central California interior on the 29th.

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Flood$20K damage

Fresno, CA · Jan 20, 2010

By January 13th, the medium-range forecast models were becoming consistent in predicting a major precipitation event that would affect interior central California beginning the 17th and continuing for several days.

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Flood$20K damage

San Mateo, CA · Jan 20, 2010

The third in a series of significant storms brought strong winds and heavy rain to the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas. This storm, the strongest of the week, developed over the Pacific Ocean with a strong parent low pressure based in the Gulf of Alaska.

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Flash Flood$50K damage

Fresno, CA · Jul 21, 2006

A thunderstorm downed trees on Kaiser Pass Road east of Huntington Lake on the 23rd. With the storm came copious amounts of hail that piled deeply due to the wind.

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Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

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Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

San Bernardino, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

San Diego, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flash Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flood

San Diego, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flood

San Diego, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
Flood

Riverside, CA · Aug 20, 2023

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall across northern Baja California on August 20, and moved through Southern California that afternoon and evening.

Read the full account →
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