Flood, Humboldt
- When
- November 20, 10:00 AM PST to November 22, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- Humboldt County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.705, -123.916 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flooding in California, November 20 to 22, 1998
Widespread urban and small stream flooding due to very heavy rain. Flooding was reported in the following locations: Fieldbrook, McKinleyville, Bayside (Jacoby Creek), Highway 197 near Crescent City, Arcata, Humboldt State University campus, Blue Lake, Elk River Road and Redwood National Park.
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
- 2
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 EKA wrote it up.
Widespread urban and small stream flooding due to very heavy rain. Flooding was reported in the following locations: Fieldbrook, McKinleyville, Bayside (Jacoby Creek), Highway 197 near Crescent City, Arcata, Humboldt State University campus, Blue Lake, Elk River Road and Redwood National Park. Prarie Creek north of Orick flooded US Highway 101. A few precipitation totals for the storm include: 9.47" in Ettersburg, 8.80" in Gasquet, 8.43" in McKinleyville, 7.14" in Fieldbrook, 6.00" in Crescent City, 5.92" in Orick and 4.91" in Blue Lake. The National Weather Service office in Eureka set a daily rainfall record of 4.37", the old mark was 1.23" set in 1953.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Del Norte
- When
- November 20, 10:00 AM PST to November 22, 4:00 AM PST
- Where
- Del Norte County, Countywide
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.745, -123.958 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Dense Fog in Florida, November 20, 1998
- Tornado in Louisiana, November 20, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Montana, November 20 to 21, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, November 20 to 22, 1998
- High Wind in Montana, November 20 to 22, 1998
- High Wind in Oregon, November 20, 1998
- Strong Wind in California, November 20, 1998
- High Wind in Montana, November 20, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, November 20 to 21, 1998
- High Wind in Oregon, November 20, 1998
- High Wind in Oregon, November 20, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, November 20 to 21, 1998
More
Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5676095, 5676096.