Flash Flooding and Flood in California, February 5 to 6, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Flood in California, February 5 to 6, 1998
Start: 1998-02-05T22:00
End: 1998-02-06T18:15
Location: California

February 5 to 6, 1998 · NWS LOX · 24 events in 21 counties and zones

The second storm of the month struck Central and Southern California. Once again, strong winds, gustingup to 70 mph, knocked down many trees and power lines.

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: 1
Injuries: 0
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 second storm of the month struck Central and Southern California. Once again, strong winds, gustingup to 70 mph, knocked down many trees and power lines. Rainfall totals ranged from 1 to 3 inches overcoastal areas, up to 6 inches in the mountains. Numerous flooding problems were reported across thearea. Most highways, including the 1, 101, 126 and 154 were closed due to flooding or mudslides. In SantaBarbara, the airport was closed due to flooded runways. In Goleta, a shopping mall was flooded. The worstflooding occurred in Camarillo where a local state of emergency was declared. Camarillo City Hall, as wellas hundreds of homes, was flooded after receiving 2.80 inches of rain in less than two hours. The CalleguasCreek overflowed, flooding the Camarillo Springs Golf Course. In Paramount, a female robbery suspectdrowned in the Los Angeles River while trying to elude police. In the mountains, the storm produced up to12 inches of snow at resort levels.

The radar

The Vandenberg AFB radar (KVBX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:57 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.

High Wind, Ventura County Coast

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County Coast forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Central Coast

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County Central Coast forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

Flood, San Luis Obispo

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo
Coordinates: 35.387, -120.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ventura County Mountains

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County Mountains forecast zone

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

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone

High Wind, Los Angeles County Valleys

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Los Angeles County Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Interior Valleys

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County Interior Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

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

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Mountains

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Santa Ynez Valley

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Ynez Valley forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Ventura County Coastal Valleys

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County Coastal Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County Interior Valleys forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, San Luis Obispo County Mountains

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County Central Coast

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Antelope Valley

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Antelope Valley forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

High Wind, Cuyama Valley

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Cuyama Valley forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Santa Barbara County South Coast

When: February 5, 10:00 PM PST to February 6, 6:15 PM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)

Flash Flood, Santa Barbara

When: February 6, 8:35 AM PST to 6:15 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 6, 9:10 AM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: Ventura County, Countywide
Coordinates: 34.358, -119.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Los Angeles

When: February 6, 10:10 AM PST to 6:15 PM PST
Where: Los Angeles County, Countywide
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 34.198, -118.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Flash Flood, Los Angeles	1998-02-06	20	Female	In Water	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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

Every storm in California in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5629830, 5629831, 5629832, 5629833, 5629835, 5629838, 5629839, 5629840, 5629998, 5629999, 5630000, 5630001, 5630002, 5630003, 5630004, 5630005, 5630006, 5630007, 5630008, 5630009, 5630010, 5629836, 5629837, 5629834.