A severe thunderstorm rapidly developed just before 2:00 PM northeast of Hemet along the Elsinore Convergence Zone. This storm produced a tornado, damaging straight line winds to 70 mph, dime to nickel size hail, and flash flooding.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm rapidly developed just before 2:00 PM northeast of Hemet along the Elsinore Convergence Zone. This storm produced a tornado, damaging straight line winds to 70 mph, dime to nickel size hail, and flash flooding. The storm traveled southwestward along the Elsinore Convergence Zone before dissipating near interstate 15 in Murrieta. The majority of the reported damage consisted of downed trees and flooded roads and property.
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 Jul 23, 8:10 AM PST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 910 AM PDT SAT JUL 23 2005 .SYNOPSIS...VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE FLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS...MOST ABUNDANT DURING THE AFTERNOONS. SOME OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DRIFT WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. A FLOOD WATCH FOR FLASH FLOODING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM TODAY FOR THE VALLEYS... MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. THE MOIST FLOW WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE ON TUESDAY...SO THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LESS FREQUENT. WEAK TROUGHING OVER THE EAST PACIFIC SHOULD BRING AN END TO THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SLIGHT COOLING LATE IN THE WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE... SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES... THUNDERSTORMS THAT CAME THROUGH THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING HAVE ENDED FOR THE TIME BEING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE SHOWING UP ON THE WEST SHORE OF THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA SOUTHWEST OF YUMA DRIFTING TO THE WEST NORTHWEST. SATELLITE LOOP INDICATES THE EASTERLY WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMAINS OF EMILY WAS OVER BAJA WORKING ITS WAY WESTWARD. EXPECT THE AXIS OF THIS EASTERLY WAVE TO PASS THROUGH TO THE COASTAL AREAS THIS EVENING. THE CLOUDS OVER THE EASTERN DESERTS ARE BEGINNING TO BREAK UP WHICH SHOULD ALLOW FOR MORE SOLAR HEATING AND ALLOW CONVECTION TO BEGIN OVER THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DEW POINT GRIDS FOR THE DESERTS FOR TODAY...BRINGING THEM UP MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE METARS AND RAWS REPORTS ARE INDICATING. WILL EXTEND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE THE INLAND EMPIRE AREA. FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING. MOIST...UNSTABLE AIR MASS REMAINS OVER THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY AND MONDAY TO CONTINUE THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH THE GREATEST ACTIVITY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE EASTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL ALLOW SOME OF THESE TO MOVE TOWARDS THE VALLEYS AND COASTAL AREAS FROM TIME TO TIME. THE MOISTURE SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE ON TUESDAY WITH A DECREASE IN THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...MAINLY CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS ALONG THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST LATE IN THE WEEK WHICH SHOULD BRING A SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER THE AREA SHUTTING OFF THE MOISTURE AND ENDING THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THIS WILL ALSO BRING SOME COOLING TO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK. WILL UPDATE THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE INLAND EMPIRE. NO OTHER UPDATES ARE PLANNED AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION... AREAS OF IFR CIGS WITH BASES NEAR 800 MSL AND TOPS 1500 DEVELOPED NEAR THE COAST THIS MORNING. THE STRATUS LAYER IS SUPPORTED BY A COASTAL EDDY. MOST COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BECOME VFR-MVFR BY 18Z. A BROAD AREA OF BKN-OVC MID LEVEL CLOUDS WITH BASES ABOVE 8000 MSL WILL BE DRIFTING OVER THE REGION TODAY ASSOCIATED WITH MONSOONAL E FLOW ALOFT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AS THE CLOUDS THIN AND HEATING DESTABILIZES THE ATMOSPHERE. ISOLATED HEAVY STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH TOPS TO 40000 MSL...SPREADING TO THE COAST LATE IN THE DAY. THE EDDY IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH IFR CIGS REDEVELOPING OVER COASTAL AIRPORTS AGAIN AFTER 08Z. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH...SEE LAXFFASGX. HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR MONSOONAL THUNDERSTORMS...SEE LAXHWOSGX. HIGH RIP CURRENT POTENTIAL...SEE LAXSRFSGX. && PUBLIC...HORTON AVIATION...DANDREA
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
The San Diego radar (KNKX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:07 UTC.
3 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter measured 1.50 inches of rain from a thunderstorm in 30 minutes.
A tornado was spotted at around 2:06 PM near the intersection of highways 74 and 79. The weak tornado traveled westward towards Hemet-Ryan airport and resulted in mainly broken trees limbs.
Two separate reports were received from Hemet indicating 1.00 inch of rainfall in 15 minutes.
A trained spotter reported hail slightly larger than dime size in Hemet.
The Domenigoni Parkway was flooded in numerous locations from Winchester Rd to State St. Several vehicles were stalled in flood waters. A homeless shelter at State St. and Menlo Ave. was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water. Water went rushing through the resident manager's apartment and left all the units uninhabitable. Other buildings in the older part of Hemet were also flooded during the thunderstorm.
Hail ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/4 inch in diameter was reported in San Jacinto.
Wind gust measured during heavy rain. Damage consisted of broken tree branches and downed leaves.
Various lawn furniture items such as chairs and tables were picked up and thrown through the air.
The fire department estimated a thunderstorm wind gust between 60 and 70 mph and trees down in Hemet.
Nickel hail was reported near Hemet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for California, 2005Warnings in California, July 2005
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: 5460707, 5460702, 5460708, 5460704, 5460709, 5460705, 5460774, 5460703, 5460706, 5460710.