Flooding in Oregon, November 18 to 23, 1996

Name: Flooding in Oregon, November 18 to 23, 1996
Start: 1996-11-18T18:00
End: 1996-11-23T18:00
Location: Oregon

November 18 to 23, 1996 · NWS PQR · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Heavy rainfall over Oregon caused many rivers in Northwestern Oregon to flood. The first small streams began flooding on November 18th with 11 larger rivers reaching flood stage on the 19th and 20th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3.2 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 PQR wrote it up.

Heavy rainfall over Oregon caused many rivers in Northwestern Oregon to flood. The first small streams began flooding on November 18th with 11 larger rivers reaching flood stage on the 19th and 20th. Major rivers such as the lower reaches of the Willamette remained above flood stage until November 23rd. Initial damage estimates from this flooding exceeded 3 million dollars.

Event by event

5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Northern Oregon Coast

When: November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 20, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Oregon Coast forecast zone

Flood, Central Oregon Coast

When: November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 20, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Central Oregon Coast forecast zone

Flood, Central Coast Range of W Oregon

When: November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 23, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Central Coast Range of W Oregon forecast zone

Flood, Lower Columbia

When: November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 21, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Lower Columbia forecast zone

Flood, Greater Portland Metro Area

When: November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 21, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Portland Metro Area forecast zone
Property damage: $3.2 million

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

Every storm in Oregon in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, November 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: 5578394, 5578395, 5578396, 5578397, 5578398.