Flood in California, April 26 to 27, 1998

While rains have stopped and temperatures climbed to near normal for a period in late April, the winter and spring's above normal rainfall/snowfall is resulting in not only rainfall runoff, some snowmelt contributions, but "springing" into the South Valley stream group of Caliente, Tejoh, sycomore, El Paso, and San Emigdio Creeks at the rate of 120CFS. Damage was sustained on roads and property with water collecting in low-lying areas, such as the ancient Kern Lake bed. As of late April 2,000 acres of farmland was under water in the South San Joaquin Valley in the area southeast of Bakersfield. As of April 27th the snowpack water content in the Southern Sierra Nevada was 190% of normal. From the Kern County Ag Commissioner's Office, data indicates that 75,000 to 100,000 acres of cotton may not be planted in Kern County due to the wet and cool field conditions.