The upper-level high pressure ridge moved inland on July 11th, with a low pressure area moving to along the coast. This pattern set up a southerly wind pattern over California, drawing up monsoonal moisture from the southeast on the 12th.
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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 HNX wrote it up.
The upper-level high pressure ridge moved inland on July 11th, with a low pressure area moving to along the coast. This pattern set up a southerly wind pattern over California, drawing up monsoonal moisture from the southeast on the 12th. Thunderstorms formed over the Tulare County Mountains by the early afternoon of the 12th. The storms become stronger as they spread south into Kern County.
Several bouts of flash flooding impacted portions of the Southern Sierra Nevada, Kern County mountains and deserts. Heavy rain hit the Piute wildfire area 4 days in a row causing flash flooding into the Lake Isabella area. Mud and debris flow swept into the town of Lake Isabella causing evacuations and helicopter rescues in the town. The muddy waters shut down roads and businesses in Lake Isabella. Some flooding also occurred on the 14th in the town of Tehachapi, where an apartment complex sustained significant damage. Thompson Creek Road was washed out Tuesday afternoon stranding 40 homes, about 10 miles south of Lake Isabella. On July 15, it was reported in the newspaper the Bakersfield water supply was being threatened by dirt and silt washing down the Kern River. The California Water Service shut down a portion of their water treatment facility as of July 15. The city has only a 3 day supply of clean emergency water and that is beginning to run out at one of the treatment plants.
Strong thunderstorms over the El Paso Mountains during the afternoon of July 13th caused flash flooding on the Randsburg Road, with erosion of the road. Later storms over the Piute Mountains caused flooding of Erskine Creek with mud and debris flows again moving into the town of Lake Isabella.
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms continued through the 15th, with activity diminishing on the 16th. Flooding was observed in the Thompson Canyon, Erskine Creek, and Kelso Canyon areas.
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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 2:06 PM PST, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 306 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008 .DISCUSSION...AN EASTERLY WAVE SLOWLY PROGRESSING WESTWARD CONTINUES TO AFFECT INYO AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALONG WITH REGIONAL DOPPLER RADAR OBSERVATIONS SHOW CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT MAINLY OVER THE TULARE AND FRESNO COUNTY MOUNTAINS...AND POSSIBLY STARTING OVER THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. LATEST MODEL PROGS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE BEST LI/S AND CAPE VALUES RESIDING OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA AND KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS. WILL NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME CONVECTION EXTENDING INTO THE SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AROUND KERN COUNTY AS DEVELOPMENT DRIFTS OFF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. YET...WILL CONFINE THE DEVELOPMENT TO AREAS OUTSIDE OF MERCED AND LOWER MARIPOSA COUNTIES AS INSTABILITY BECOMES VERY WEAK IN THOSE AREAS AND THE FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE WESTERLY. SHOULD EXPECT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO DIMINISH OVERNIGHT BEFORE DEVELOPMENT BEGINS AGAIN ON SUNDAY. LOOKING FURTHER OUT...MONDAY WILL SEE A CONTINUATION OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS MODELS SHOW A NORTHWARD SURGE ON MONSOONAL MOISTURE PUSHING INTO THE DISTRICT. BY TUESDAY...MODELS BEGIN SHOWING A MORE WESTERLY (ONSHORE) FLOW PATTERN DEVELOPING TO SHIFT THE MOISTURE EASTWARD. WILL CONFINE ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT TO THE MOUNTAINS BEFORE DRYING THE ENTIRE DISTRICT ON WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT WEATHER CONCERN WILL ARISE TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD AROUND SATURDAY AS THE REMAINS OF A DISTURBANCE VEERING EAST AND INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. WHILE STILL IS STILL AROUND THE END OF THE PERIOD...WILL NOT ADD ANY MENTION OF PRECIP TOWARD SATURDAY. YET...WILL MONITOR THIS SITUATION TO SEE OF THIS TROPICAL DISTURBANCE MANAGES TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE DISTRICT. && .AVIATION...VFR EXCEPT AREAS OF MVFR SFC AND ALOFT IN HZ/FU ACROSS THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR THROUGH 00Z MONDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGH TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY ACROSS THE MTNS AND DESERTS...POSSIBLY SPREADING WEST INTO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. && .AIR QUALITY ISSUES...PLEASE SEE SFOAQAHNX && .HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && PUBLIC...MOLINA AVN/FW...SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 612 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008 CAZ089>099-140000- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS- TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON- TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 612 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ALL OF INTERIOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AIR QUALITY ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO SFOAQAHNX /WMO HEADER...AEUS76 KHNX/. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EVENING OVER EASTERN FRESNO, TULARE AND KERN COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY DOWN BURSTS RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING OVER PRONE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK OVER THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF FRESNO AND TULARE COUNTIES. ALSO, ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE DESERT AREAS THROUGH MID WEEK. THE DESERT THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY DOWN BURSTS RESULTING IN FLASH FLOODING OVER PRONE AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WP WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 331 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008 CAZ095-097-130015- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 331 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008 ...GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE THROUGH 5 PM NEAR GLENNVILLE AND LAKE ISABELLA... A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER SOUTHEASTERN TULARE COUNTY WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH TOWARD THE KERN COUNTY LINE. AS INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORM CELLS COLLAPSE...THEY MAY PRODUCE STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS. THESE WINDS COULD AFFECT THE JOHNSONDALE...GLENNVILLE... KERNVILLE AND LAKE ISABELLA AREAS THROUGH 5 PM TODAY. BOATERS ON LAKE ISABELLA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS THAT COULD PRODUCE ROUGH WATERS AND CAPSIZE BOATS. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS SOURCE...FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. SANGER WEATHER.GOV/HANFORD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY CA
541 PM PDT SAT JUL 12 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0538 PM FLASH FLOOD 2 SW LAKE ISABELLA 35.59N 118.49W
07/12/2008 KERN CA OTHER FEDERAL
FIREFIGHTER AT PIUTE FIRE REPORTED FLASH FLOODING ON
ERSKINE CREEK.
&&
SANGERThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
NWS Incident Meteorologists reported heavy rain that hit the Piute wildfire area caused flash flooding into the Lake Isabella area. Mud and debris flow swept into the town of Lake Isabella causing evacuations and helicopter rescues in and around the town.
The California Highway Patrol reported heavy rainfall runoff causing erosion at the Randsburg Road. This runoff was coming from heavy thunderstorms on Piute Mountain.
NWS Incident meteorolgists relayed reports of flash flooding near Thompson Creek. California Highway Patrol reported runoff causing erosion of Randsburg-Redrock Rd.
Road closed at both ends in Tioga Pass due to mud flows across the road. Thunderstorms dropped lots of hail. Pea-sized hail covered about a 2 mile section of the road.
Flash flood Debris flow was reported on Johns Rd between Caliente Creek and Walsher Rd at 332 pm. NWS Incident meteorologist reported flash flooding on Erskine creek near Lake Isabella and Clear Creek at Havilah. at 430 pm. Water was reported covering Walker Basin Rd. Several utility poles on Johns Rd and Walker Basin Rd were undermined by fast flowing water. The intersection of Johns Rd and Walker Basin Rd were reported completely flooded out with water up to 3 feet deep.
A Claraville weather station reported 2.15 inches of rain in only 90 minutes. NWS Incident meteorologists reported pea-size hail and runoff developing from thunderstorm over the Piute Mountains. This thunderstorm enduced runoff near the Piute wildfire burn areas caused flooding of the Thompson Creek Road, and also in the Jawbone and Cortez Canyons, and Kelso Creek across Kelso Valley Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2008
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: 129871, 129872, 129873, 129876, 129874, 129879.