Flooding in Washington, December 26 to 31, 1996

Name: Flooding in Washington, December 26 to 31, 1996
Start: 1996-12-26T00:00
End: 1996-12-31T23:59
Location: Washington

December 26 to 31, 1996 · NWS PQR · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Heavy rains from two strong storms caused flooding of rivers in Southwest Washington. Four major rivers and numerous smaller streams reached flood stages.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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 rains from two strong storms caused flooding of rivers in Southwest Washington. Four major rivers and numerous smaller streams reached flood stages. Most damage was confined to roads and farmland with a few homes and businesses flooded in some areas.

Event by event

5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Vancouver Area

When: December 26, 12:00 AM PST to December 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Vancouver Area forecast zone

Flood, Southern Cascade Foothills

When: December 26, 12:00 AM PST to December 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Southern Cascade Foothills forecast zone

Flood, Lower Columbia

When: December 26, 12:00 AM PST to December 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Lower Columbia forecast zone

Flood, Southwest Interior

When: December 26, 12:00 AM PST to December 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: Southwest Interior forecast zone

Flood, South Coast

When: December 26, 12:00 AM PST to December 31, 11:59 PM PST
Where: South Coast forecast zone

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 Washington in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, 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: 5575783, 5575784, 5575785, 5575786, 5575787.