California, 1998

Flash Flood in California, August 11, 1998

August 11, 1998 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

The radar

The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:54 UTC.

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Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Kern

When
August 11, 5:00 PM PST to 5:30 PM PST
Where
Kern County, 14 mi E of Rosamond
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter reports indicated that up to 0.91 inches of rain fell in a 40-minute time period from 1740 PDT until 1830 PDT ... another spotter reported 1.74" in about the same time period. A late report received indicated 2.07" of rain fell in just over an hour ending at 1830 PDT at Rosamond. Wind gusts measured up to 48 MPH with, again, another estimate of 60 MPH for winds, occurred with the widespread thunderstorms in the Kern Deserts. Easterly flow aloft and at the surface interacted with the Tehachapi/Mojave shear line to explode in late afternoon convective activity. Heavy rain brought tire deep water in Rosamond as well as flooding Rosamond Boulevard between Rosamond and Edwards AFB. A strong wind gust was measured at 77 MPH at a RAWS site at El Mirage just to the south of the county/CWFA line.

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.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 1998

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: 5649116.