California, 1998

Flash Flooding and Flood in California, February 2 to 3, 1998

February 2 to 3, 1998 · NWS LOX · 24 events in 21 counties and zones

The first powerful storm of the month slammed into Central and Southern California. Powerful winds buffeted the entire area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
3
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
24

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 LOX wrote it up.

The first powerful storm of the month slammed into Central and Southern California. Powerful winds buffeted the entire area. Hearst Castle, in San Luis Obispo county, reported winds gusting to 90 mph. Elsewhere, winds gusting in excess of 70 mph were reported. Hundreds of trees and power lines were blown down, resulting in numerous power outages. In Pacoima, the wind blew the roof off an apartment complex. Along with the strong winds, heavy rain drenched the entire area. On average, rainfall totals ranged from 2 to 8 inches over coastal areas, up to 12 inches in the mountains. Widespread flooding was reported in all areas. Forty homes were flooded in Solvang and 15 homes were flooded in Ojai. Flooding and mudslides closed parts of most major roadways across the area...including Highways 1, 33, 101, 118, 126, 150, 154, 166 and the 246. In Santa Maria, one thousand feet of the Santa Maria River levee washed away, flooding hundreds of acres of farmland. In Granada Hills, two teenage girls were rescued after falling into Bull Creek. In Valencia, a farm worker was rescued from Castaic Creek. In the mountains, reported snowfall totals were as high as 3 feet at some resort locations.

The radar

The Vandenberg AFB radar (KVBX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high wind, 3 heavy snow, 3 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Ventura County Mountains

When
February 2, 6:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Mountains forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range

When
February 2, 6:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When
February 2, 6:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone

High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Interior Valleys

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Mountains

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Santa Ynez Valley

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Ynez Valley forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Coastal Valleys

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Mountains

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
San Luis Obispo County Mountains forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County Central Coast

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Antelope Valley

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Antelope Valley forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Cuyama Valley

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Cuyama Valley forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)
Coordinates
34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County South Coast

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Coast

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County Coast forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Central Coast

When
February 2, 10:00 PM PST to February 3, 8:30 PM PST
Where
San Luis Obispo County Central Coast forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph)

Flash Flood, Los Angeles

When
February 3, 5:00 AM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where
Los Angeles County, Countywide
Injuries
2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
34.198, -118.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, San Luis Obispo

When
February 3, 5:00 AM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where
San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo
Coordinates
35.387, -120.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Santa Barbara

When
February 3, 5:00 AM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where
Santa Barbara County, Countywide
Coordinates
34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Ventura

When
February 3, 5:00 AM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where
Ventura County, Countywide
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
34.358, -119.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 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: 5629995, 5629996, 5629997, 5629918, 5629919, 5629920, 5629921, 5629922, 5629923, 5629924, 5629925, 5629926, 5629927, 5629984, 5629985, 5629986, 5629987, 5629988, 5629989, 5629990, 5629991, 5629992, 5629993, 5629994.