Thunderstorm Wind, Kern
- When
- September 2, 2:09 PM PST to 2:45 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Arvin to 2 mi SW of Bakersfield
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 35.220, -118.870
Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in California, September 2, 1998
A thunderstorm from the northeast moved over the far southeastern portion of the San Joaquin Valley during the mid-afternoon hours. Lightning strikes accounted for 4 grass fires during the event.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- 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 HNX wrote it up.
A thunderstorm from the northeast moved over the far southeastern portion of the San Joaquin Valley during the mid-afternoon hours. Lightning strikes accounted for 4 grass fires during the event. The largest fire consumed 1,500 acres of grass east of Bakersfield along Breckenridge Road. A microburst brought low visibilities in blowing dust around Bakersfield including Interstate-58 east of the city that lead to several traffic accidents and downed power lines leaving 11,000 customers without power. Visibility dropped to 30 feet on Highway 58 on the east side of Bakersfield. Estimated wind speeds were as high as 45 Knots. Of interest are indications that two microbursts may have occurred based on wind direction shifts received from the Lamont ALERT (automated) weather station. (One at 1412 PST and another at 1427 PST).
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Kern
- When
- September 2, 2:09 PM PST to 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Kern County, 10 mi ENE of Bakersfield
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- 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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hurricane in Florida, September 2 to 3, 1998
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Florida, September 2, 1998
- Hurricane in Florida, September 2 to 3, 1998
- Tornadoes in Florida, September 2 to 30, 1998
- Tropical Storm in Alabama, September 2 to 3, 1998
- Tornado in Florida, September 2, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Puerto Rico, September 2, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, September 2, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, September 2, 1998
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in New Jersey, September 2, 1998
- Tropical Storm in Louisiana, September 2, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Florida, September 2, 1998
More
Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, September 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: 5668395, 5668396.