Flood, Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S
- When
- March 21, 5:00 PM PST to March 22, 5:00 PM PST
- Where
- Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S forecast zone
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
Flooding in Oregon, March 21 to 22, 1998
Warm air ahead of a strong Pacific cold front led to heavy rainfall on top of existing snowpack in southern Oregon March 21-22. Ensuing runoff caused localized flooding along streams and small rivers in southern Lake county and all of Josephine county.
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 1
- 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 MFR wrote it up.
Warm air ahead of a strong Pacific cold front led to heavy rainfall on top of existing snowpack in southern Oregon March 21-22. Ensuing runoff caused localized flooding along streams and small rivers in southern Lake county and all of Josephine county. Bullard Creek in Lake county caused minor street flooding in Lakeview, and one home sustained light flood damage. In southwestern Oregon, one to nearly four inches of rainfall fell, resulting in widespread small stream flooding in Josephine county. The Illinois River became a raging torrent on the 22nd, caused one injury, and claimed the lives of two rafters in the area called the "Green Wall".
Event by event
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Lake/Klamath T X W
- When
- March 21, 10:00 PM PST to March 22, 2:00 AM PST
- Where
- Lake/Klamath T X W forecast zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S | 1998-03-22 | 62 | Male | Boat | Direct |
| Flood, Josephine T X Se/Jackson T X S | 1998-03-22 | 37 | Male | Boat | Direct |
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
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Vermont, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Maine, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Flash Flood and Lightning Strike in Virginia, March 21, 1998
- Winter Storm in New York, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, March 21 to 22, 1998
- Strong Wind in Rhode Island, March 21 to 22, 1998
More
Every storm in Oregon in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 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: 5629426, 5629425.