California, 1997Flash Flooding in California, September 3, 1997
September 3, 1997 · NWS HNX · 3 events in 1 county or zone
Monsoonal moisture over the Southwest United States by the late afternoon/early evening of Wednesday, September 3rd, supported thunderstorm activity over the desert portions of Kern County and the northern Kern County Mountains. 50 inches in a little over an hour and resulted in 28,000 CFS of flash flood flow down Red Rock Creek through Red Rock Canyon State Park damaging several bridges along…
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 4
- Property damage
- $5.0 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
Monsoonal moisture over the Southwest United States by the late afternoon/early evening of Wednesday, September 3rd, supported thunderstorm activity over the desert portions of Kern County and the northern Kern County Mountains. One particularly large cell produced heavy rain reaching 4.50 inches in a little over an hour and resulted in 28,000 CFS of flash flood flow down Red Rock Creek through Red Rock Canyon State Park damaging several bridges along State Highway 14. While not reaching severe wind threshold levels...the Cantil thunderstorm produced a gusty front of 40 knots over the California City Airport 12 miles away at 17:30 PST. No damage was reported. An additional gust front from the Mojave area thunderstorm produced a gust front of 42 knots over the Mojave Airport at 18:00 PST. Again, no damage was reported from this cell due to its winds.
Flash Flood, Kern
- When
- September 3, 6:10 PM PST to 6:30 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 2 mi N of Cantil
- Injuries
- 4 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $5.0 million
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A thunderstorm measured at 69 dBz moved from southwest to northeast up the El Paso Mountains in East Kern County on the evening of Wednesday, Sept 3rd. Reports indicated that 4.50" of rain fell from this storm in a little over an hour's time. The resulting flash flood through Red Rock Canyon State Park brought 28,000 CFS down through the park, across State Highway 14 and the Redrock-Randsburg Road, and on into Koehn Dry Lake. Nearly 100 motorists were stranded by the flooding with 4 cars swept into the water. Reports indicated that a 12-foot wall of water swept over Highway 14 at 7:10 PM PDT and subsequently over Redrock-Randsburg Road at 7:17 PM PDT. The number of injuries was estimated based on initial reports...no fatalities.
Flash Flood, Kern
- When
- September 3, 7:00 PM PST to 7:10 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Onyx
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm passage through the East Lake Isabella area of Kern County brought enough rainfall to generage water flow over State Highway 178 at Onyx from Scodie Creek. Hail was also reported with this thunderstorm up to 1/2 inch in diameter.
Flash Flood, Kern
- When
- September 3, 7:04 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Mojave
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A thunderstorm located just west of Mojave in the early evening hours supported heavy rain that resulted in sheet flow and flash flooding through pockets of houses west of Mojave and west Mojave itself. Water depths reached four feet at the intersection of State Highway 14 and Interstate 58 floating cars. No injuries resulted although several people were caught in high water or washed down streets.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding in Nevada, September 3, 1997$2.7 million · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, September 3, 1997$195,000 · 0.75 in hail · 6 events
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Texas, September 3, 19971 injured · $95,000 · 5 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, September 3, 1997$80,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Texas, September 3, 19971 injured · $40,000 · 6 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, September 3, 1997$70,000 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Nevada, September 3, 1997$30,000 · 4 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, September 3, 1997$30,000 · 67 kt wind · 1 event
- Flood in Florida, September 3, 1997$30,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, September 3, 1997$30,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in Texas, September 3, 1997$25,000 · 52 kt wind · 3 events
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, September 3, 1997$20,000 · 1 event
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: 5617428, 5617429, 5617520.