Flood, San Bernardino
- When
- August 11, 1:00 PM PST to 2:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County, Forest Falls
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood and Damaging Wind in California, August 11, 1998
A moist, unstable, easterly flow, supported afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains and high deserts of San Bernardino County. The storms produced small hail, local street flooding, and locally strong winds.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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.
What happened
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
A moist, unstable, easterly flow, supported afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains and high deserts of San Bernardino County. The storms produced small hail, local street flooding, and locally strong winds. Flooded streets were reported in Forest Falls. In the high desert areas near Hesperia, the lightning ignited brush fires that were fanned by gusty outflow winds. Farther west in El Mirage, a severe thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 77 mph. In Lucerne Valley, lightning struck a barn and killed two farm animals.
The radar
The Edwards AFB radar (KEYX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:32 UTC.
Event by event
1 flood, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, San Bernardino
- When
- August 11, 1:30 PM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County, Lucerne Vly
- Reported by
- UNKNOWN
- Coordinates
- 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino
- When
- August 11, 3:30 PM PST to 4:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Bernardino County, El Mirage
- Measured
- 67 kt (77 mph)
- Reported by
- PARK/FOREST SERVICE
- Coordinates
- 34.580, -117.630
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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in Tennessee, August 11, 1998
- Flash Flood in Vermont, August 11 to 12, 1998
- Flash Flood in New York, August 11 to 12, 1998
- Flash Flood in Vermont, August 11 to 12, 1998
- Flash Flood in Vermont, August 11 to 12, 1998
- Flash Flood in Puerto Rico, August 11, 1998
- Flash Flood in Vermont, August 11 to 12, 1998
- Damaging Wind in New York, August 11, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Nebraska, August 11, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Connecticut, August 11, 1998
- Flash Flood in Indiana, August 11, 1998
- Damaging Wind in California, August 11, 1998
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: 5664005, 5664006, 5664007.