California, 1996

Flood in California, March 12, 1996

March 12, 1996 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

34 Inches in only a 20' period. With flat ground poor drainage posed problems for urban areas in the Central San Joaquin Valley.

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
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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 HNX wrote it up.

Heavy rainfall in the vicinity of Hanford brought 0.34 Inches in only a 20' period. With flat ground poor drainage posed problems for urban areas in the Central San Joaquin Valley.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Kings

When
March 12, 3:40 PM PST to 4:40 PM PST
Where
Kings County, Hanford
Coordinates
36.075, -119.815 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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, March 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581290.