California, 1996

Flash Flood in California, December 10, 1996

December 10, 1996 · NWS MTR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

This Pacific storm caused widespread damage through the entire cwa. 02" of rain in the preceding 24 hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
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  • Winter weather
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  • Cold
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  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MTR wrote it up.

This Pacific storm caused widespread damage through the entire cwa. Oakland had 2.02" of rain in the preceding 24 hours. This caused an earthen holding pond to rupture and the ensuing flash flood of mud, water, and debris swept across I580 a major commute route. it created a four foot deep lake a quarter mile long. Six cars were trapped in the muck but no injuries were reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Alameda

When
December 10, 10:00 AM PST to 10:45 AM PST
Where
Alameda County, 20 mi E of Oakland
Coordinates
37.651, -121.918 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5575577.