California, 1997

Flash Flood and Flood in California, September 25, 1997

September 25, 1997 · NWS VEF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The remnants of Hurricane Nora spread inland across Arizona, southern California and southern Nevada. This rare tropical storm in the deserts dumped between one and two inches of rain over much of San Bernardino and Inyo Counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 VEF wrote it up.

The remnants of Hurricane Nora spread inland across Arizona, southern California and southern Nevada. This rare tropical storm in the deserts dumped between one and two inches of rain over much of San Bernardino and Inyo Counties. Minor flooding occurred in Twentynine Palms with water along highways 62 and 247, but no roads were forced to close. In Death Valley National Park, flooding was a little more substantial as highway 190 was washed out between Panamint Springs and Stove Pipe. Numerous smaller roads were closed throughout the park due to flooding.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Inyo

When
September 25, 2:50 PM PST
Where
Inyo County, Death Vly
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
36.511, -117.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, San Bernardino

When
September 25, 3:10 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County, Twenty Nine Palms
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (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.
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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in California, September 1997

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: 5620521, 5620520.