Flood in Idaho, April 14 to 15, 2002

Name: Flood in Idaho, April 14 to 15, 2002
Start: 2002-04-14T16:13
End: 2002-04-15T10:52
Location: Idaho

April 14 to 15, 2002 · NWS OTX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Several days of warm weather, rain and wind caused rapid mid-elevation snowmelt. This pushed the North Fork Coeur D'Alene River at Enaville above its flood stage of 72 feet.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 OTX wrote it up.

Several days of warm weather, rain and wind caused rapid mid-elevation snowmelt. This pushed the North Fork Coeur D'Alene River at Enaville above its flood stage of 72 feet. The river crested at 73.2 feet at 1100 PM PDT before falling back below flood stage.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 14, 1:30 PM PST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 14, 1:30 PM PST, 2 hours 43 minutes before

EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON
230 PM PDT SUN APR 14 2002

CLOSED TROUGH SPINNING JUST OFF THE NORTH TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLE WITH
MINOR WAVES AND COLD AIR ROTATING AROUND THE SOUTHERN END  MOVING IN
FROM THE WEST OFF OF THE LOW. SUSTAINED WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 40 MPH STILL BLOWING ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WITH A STEADY FETCH
OF COLD AIR. ANTICIPATE WIND TO DECREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. MOUNTAIN SHOWERS HAVE ALSO POPPED UP THIS AFTERNOON AND
SHOULD CONTINUE A WHILE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MONDAY AND MONDAY
EVENING THE MAIN TROUGH KICKS THROUGH FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS
AGAIN MAINLY FOR THE MOUNTAINS. WILL HAVE TO MENTION THUNDERSTORMS
AGAIN AS WEKK. RIGHT AFTER THAT ANOTHER PACIFIC TROUGH DIGS DOWN THE
WEST COAST. WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION INTO
WEDNESDAY WITH THE TROUGH IN THE VICINITY. TC

.EXTENDED...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
STARTING ON THURSDAY AND BECOMES DOMINANT ACROSS THE REGION BY
SATURDAY. EXPECT WARMER TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH DRIER CONDITIONS WITH
THIS RIDGE THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF THE EXTENDED. ON SUNDAY...AN UPPER
LEVEL LOW DROPS DOWN ACROSS THE DISTRICT FROM THE NORTHWEST BRINGING
A CHANCE OF RAIN WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES.

...THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRODUCT CONCERNING WARNINGS AND FORECASTS
IS VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE. THE LATEST WARNING AND
FORECAST INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND IN THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS...

GEG 033/050/032/051/034/053 231333
COE 031/050/033/051/033/052 232443
PUW 032/050/032/051/034/053 132333
LWS 039/055/039/057/039/059 122334
CQV 033/051/035/052/035/057 444433
SPT 031/047/036/049/032/053 445543
WWP 030/046/030/046/030/050 445545
EAT 036/054/038/054/038/058 002321
MWH 035/055/035/056/039/060 011310

.OTX...FLOOD WARNING FOR ST. JOE AND COEUR DALENE RIVERS...
    ...SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING FOR SHOSHONE COUNTY...
    ...SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR PEND ORIELLE AND ASOTIN...
        COUNTIES IN WASHINGTON AND BONNER AND KOOTENAI COUNTY IN
        IDAHO

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Central Panhandle Mountains

When: April 14, 4:13 PM PST to April 15, 10:52 AM PST
Where: Central Panhandle Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.265, -116.491 (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

Every storm in Idaho in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Idaho, April 2002

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: 5289694.