Debris Flow in California, January 10, 2005

Name: Debris Flow in California, January 10, 2005
Start: 2005-01-10T21:01
End: 2005-01-10T21:02
Location: California

January 10, 2005 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rain sent very large rocks crashing onto Highway 38 about 9 miles southeast of Running Springs.

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: $25,000
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 SGX wrote it up.

Heavy rain sent very large rocks crashing onto Highway 38 about 9 miles southeast of Running Springs.

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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 10, 9:30 AM PST, 11 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 10, 9:30 AM PST, 11 hours 31 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 10, 8:00 PM PST, 1 hour 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
800 PM PST MON JAN 10 2005

CAZ042-043-048-050-055-056-057-058-060-061-062-121400-
ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-
SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-
COACHELLA VALLEY-
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-
800 PM PST MON JAN 10 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR
ALL OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA.

STRONG MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN...HEAVY AT
TIMES...AND SNOW IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS TODAY...WITH HEAVIEST
MOVING THROUGH THIS MORNING. THIS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR
WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES. LOCAL STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP
AT TIMES TODAY. HIGH TIDES AND LARGE SURF WILL BRING A THREAT OF
COASTAL FLOODING AND EROSION THIS WEEKEND. DRY WEATHER AND WARMER
DAYS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK.

DUE TO THIS WEATHER PATTERN...THE FOLLOWING HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS
ARE OCCURRING...

.DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT.

WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM TUESDAY FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO AND
RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS...SEE LAXWSWSGX.

WIND ADVISORY FOR THE HIGH DESERTS AND MOUNTAINS UNTIL 6 PM
TODAY...SEE LAXNPWSGX.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL AREAS UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON...SEE
LAXFFASGX.

RIVER STATEMENT FOR THE SAN DIEGO AND SAN LUIS REY RIVERS...SEE
LAXRVSSGX.

FLOOD WARNING FOR THE SAN DIEGO AND SAN LUIS REY RIVERS...SEE
LAXFLSSGX.

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT...SEE LAXMWSSGX.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY..

MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR TIDAL OVERFLOW...SEE
LAXMWSSGX.

OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

SKYWARN ACTIVATION STATEMENT...WEATHER SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED.

ATKIN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 10, 3:29 PM PST, 5 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
329 PM PST MON JAN 10 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0800 PM     FLASH FLOOD      PALM SPRINGS            33.83N 116.54W
01/09/2005                   RIVERSIDE          CA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            3 SWIFT WATER RESCUES IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY SUNDAY
            NIGHT.

1252 PM     FLOOD            SAN BERNARDINO          34.14N 117.29W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING

0130 PM     FLOOD            FULLERTON               33.88N 117.93W
01/10/2005                   ORANGE             CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING.

0308 PM     FLOOD            LAKE ELSINORE           33.67N 117.32W
01/10/2005                   RIVERSIDE          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING ALONG COLLIER AVENUE WEST OF I-15. 8 TO
            12 INCHES OF WATER IS ON THE ROAD.

&&

BM

Local storm report, Jan 10, 7:34 PM PST, 1 hour 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
734 PM PST MON JAN 10 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1252 PM     FLOOD            SAN BERNARDINO          34.14N 117.29W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING

0130 PM     FLOOD            FULLERTON               33.88N 117.93W
01/10/2005                   ORANGE             CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING.

0135 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MORONGO VALLEY          34.06N 116.59W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MUD AND DEBRIS CROSSING ROADWAY AT HWY 62 AND EAST.

0256 PM     FLASH FLOOD      W CRESTLINE             34.25N 117.30W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ROCKS AND TREES ON ROAD AT SR138 AND CRESTLINE RD.

0308 PM     FLOOD            LAKE ELSINORE           33.67N 117.32W
01/10/2005                   RIVERSIDE          CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STREET FLOODING ALONG COLLIER AVENUE WEST OF I-15. 8 TO
            12 INCHES OF WATER IS ON THE ROAD.

0449 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CRESTLINE               34.25N 117.30W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            BOWL RD FLOODING AND ROAD IS STARTING TO COLLAPSE

0551 PM     FLASH FLOOD      LAKE ARROWHEAD          34.26N 117.19W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CREEK JUMPED ITS BED AND IS RUNNING ACROSS ROADWAY AT
            SR173 AND JOHN MUIR RD

0601 PM     FLASH FLOOD      9 SE CORONA             33.78N 117.46W
01/10/2005                   RIVERSIDE          CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SPANISH HILLS DR AT PARK CANYON RD WASHED OUT. ABOUT A 2
            FT CANYON DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

0624 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 NW LAKE ARROWHEAD     34.29N 117.23W
01/10/2005                   SAN BERNARDINO     CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MUD/ROCK SLIDE BLOCKING LANES AT SR189 AND GRASS VALLEY
            RD

0625 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 E MISSION VIEJO       33.61N 117.57W
01/10/2005                   ORANGE             CA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            BOULDERS ACROSS ORTEGO HWY JUST WEST OF NICHOLS

&&

BND

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.

Debris Flow, P Sw San Bernardino

When: January 10, 9:01 PM PST to 9:02 PM PST
Where: P Sw San Bernardino forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Debris Flow: A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in California, January 2005

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5438142.