Low-level moisture from Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Odile streamed northward ahead of the system, underneath a ridge that was in place. The heat and moisture along a coastal sea breeze combined to produce scattered thunderstorms across the coast, beaches and inland valleys.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Low-level moisture from Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Odile streamed northward ahead of the system, underneath a ridge that was in place. The heat and moisture along a coastal sea breeze combined to produce scattered thunderstorms across the coast, beaches and inland valleys. The strongest storms were in the southern Inland Empire foothills just west of Forest Falls and near Lake Elsinore, and from Kearny Mesa to El Cajon. Rainfall totals were highly variable due to the isolated nature of the thunderstorms, but the heaviest cells on the 16th produced amounts up to one-half, to just over one inch of rain in the coast and valley locations of San Diego and Orange Counties. One to two inches of rain was reported near Lake Elsinore. The San Bernardino County mountains saw generally one-third of an inch or less. A particularly strong storm dumped just over an inch of rain, causing flooding along Balboa Avenue, near Scripps Ranch and Kearny Mesa. The winds were strong enough with these thunderstorms to down several power lines and numerous large trees (across roadways and onto vehicles) in the southern San Diego County valleys (near El Cajon and Mission Valley) and southern Riverside County valleys in Wildomar. Storm survey indicated wind speeds of 60 to 65 mph and Montgomery Field measured 56 mph. The City of San Diego reported 30 buildings damaged and the American Red Cross in Kearny Mesa had significant damage including partial roof collapse. SDGE reported at least 12 storm-related power outages throughout the city, resulting in more than 6000 customers without power. A few thunderstorms were mountain-focused (near Julian) on the 17th as the remnants of Odile were pushed off to the east and the sea breeze boundary moved well inland. The storms on the 17th were concentrated over the Riverside and northern San Diego County mountains, generating amounts of one-half of an inch or less. Storm surveys were completed in Wildomar and Kearny Mesa into Mission Valley. Riverside County storm damage was reported at nearly 8 million dollars from the September 7-8 and the 16th events.
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 Sep 16, 9:15 AM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
1015 AM PDT TUE SEP 16 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND MOIST EAST TO SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL HOT HUMID
CONDITIONS OVER THE REGION TODAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE VALLEYS...MOUNTAINS AND
DESERTS...WITH HIGHEST CHANCES IN THE INLAND EMPIRE. THE MOIST FLOW
WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
THEN...BUT SOME COOLING WILL OCCUR AS THE HIGH ALOFT WEAKENS. A
RETURN TO ONSHORE FLOW WILL BRING MORE SIGNIFICANT COOLING THURSDAY
AS A TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE WEST COAST. THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE
WILL BRING PARTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND WITH
TEMPERATURES MOSTLY NEAR OR A LITTLE ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS.
&&
.DISCUSSION...FOR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING ORANGE...
SAN DIEGO...WESTERN RIVERSIDE AND SOUTHWESTERN SAN BERNARDINO
COUNTIES...
STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY MOISTURE SURGE WENT THROUGH THE DESERTS THIS
MORNING AND BROUGHT PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES NEAR 2 INCHES NEAR THE
SALTON SEA BY MID-MORNING. THIS ALSO BROUGHT STRATUS ALONG THE EAST
SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND LOCALLY GUSTY EASTERLY WINDS WEST OF THE
MOUNTAINS...WITH LOCAL GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH...INCLUDING AT HIGHLAND
SPRING IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY AND HELLHOLE CANYON AND SILL HILL IN SAN
DIEGO COUNTY. IT GAVE A SPIKE IN THE TEMPERATURES IN THE
VALLEYS...AT 10 AM...WE WERE ALREADY 97 DEGREES AT THE NWS OFFICE IN
RANCHO BERNARDO WITH A DEW POINT OF 73. DUE TO THE MORE HEAT THAN
TUESDAY IN WESTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY...HAVE EXTENDED THE HEAT
ADVISORY TO THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL ZONE FOR TODAY. HIGHEST
TEMPS SHOULD BE IN THE INLAND EMPIRE WHERE LOCAL TEMPS AROUND 108
COULD AGAIN OCCUR...THOUGH 100 DEGREE TEMPS WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON THE
SAN DIEGO COUNTY MESAS AND QUITE A BIT OF ORANGE COUNTY. DUE TO THE
MONSOONAL SURGE...THERE IS A GOOD SURFACE CONVERGENCE ZONE IN THE
INLAND EMPIRE AND WESTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY...SO THUNDERSTORMS COULD
DEVELOP THERE TODAY. IF TSTORMS DEVELOP IN THE INLAND EMPIRE...HAIL
WOULD BE A THREAT DUE TO THE SHARP DECREASE IN MOISTURE ABOVE 550
MB. HRRR SHOWS THE HIGHEST QPF OVER THE INLAND EMPIRE WHERE LOCAL
RAINFALL COULD EXCEED AN INCH AND COULD BRING LOCALIZED FLOODING.
ALSO...LOCALLY STRONG WINDS COULD OCCUR AS THE STORMS WOULD BE
RELATIVELY HIGH-BASED. ALSO...THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER THE
MOUNTAINS DUE TO ELEVATED HEATING IN AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS...AND
LOCALLY IN THE DESERTS...THOUGH SUFFACE BOUNDARIES DO NOT LOOK AS
FAVORABLE THERE.
THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH CHANGE IN THE THINKING FOR WED AS FORMER
HURRICANE ODILE IS TRACKING TOWARDS NW SONORA/SE ARIZONA.
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL BE AROUND OR A LITTLE ABOVE 1.5
INCHES AT THE COAST AND POSSIBLY APPROACHING 2 INCHES IN THE DESERTS
AND CAPES EASILY OVER 1000 J/KG...WE SHOULD HAVE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS/DESERTS AND POSSIBLY THE VALLEYS.
MODELS ARE NOT SHOWING MUCH EXPLICIT PRECIP...BUT WE COULD GET
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND LOCAL FLOODING. FLOODING CHANCES DO NOT LOOK
WIDESPREAD ENOUGH FOR A FLASH FLOOD WATCH THOUGH. WE LOSE 2-3 DEG C
OF 850 MB TEMPS WED...SO GENERALLY PLACES SHOULD BE ABOUT 5 DEG F
COOLER...THOUGH WITH HIGH HUMIDITY STILL AROUND...HEAT INDEX VALUES
WILL BE CLOSE TO HEAT ADVISORY THRESHOLDS. WILL EXAMINE FURTHER. FOR
THU...MUCH DRIER AIR COMES IN FROM THE WEST...AND ONSHORE FLOW
DEVELOPS AT THE SURFACE. WE HAVE ALREADY DECREASED MTN/DESERT TSTORM
CHANCES AND MAY ELIMINATE THEM ENTIRELY IN THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE.
MODELS HAVE A CLOSED UPPER LOW OFF THE COAST OVER THE WEEKEND WHICH
COULD BRING SOME CLOUDS...BUT MOISTURE/INSTABILITY LOOK MARGINAL FOR
TSTORMS. BEST CHANCES OF ANY TSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE OVER SAN
BERNARDINO COUNTY DUE TO THE MOISTURE PROFILE THERE. FRIDAY LOOKS
FAIRLY COOL DUE TO THE UPPER LOW BUT WILL INCREASE SOME OVER THE
WEEKEND...WITH MODERATELY HIGH HUMIDITY POSSIBLE DUE TO THE
CONTINUED HIGH SST VALUES.
&&
.AVIATION...
161519Z...MOSTLY UNRESTRICTED VIS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. CLOUDS
IN THE 5000-10000 FT MSL LAYER ALONG THE DESERT SLOPES AND PORTIONS
OF THE ADJACENT DESERTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 1800 UTC. 1800-17/0300
UTC TIME-FRAME...SCT-BKN CLOUDS AT OR ABOVE 8000 FT MSL WITH
ISOL-SCT THUNDERSTORMS/SHOWERS DEVELOPING OVER THE
MOUNTAINS...VALLEY...INCLUDING THE INLAND EMPIRE AND POSSIBLY OVER
PORTIONS OF THE DESERTS. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL
HAIL...GUSTY/ERRATIC WINDS AND LOWERED VIS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. CB TOPS
35000-45000 FT MSL POSSIBLE. ALSO...E WIND GUSTS 25-35 KT ALONG MTN
RIDGES...COASTAL SLOPES AND INTO THE VALLEYS WILL RESULT IN MODERATE
UP/DOWNDRAFTS AND POSSIBLE LLWS THROUGH 17/0000 UTC.
&&
.MARINE...
819 AM...NO HAZARDOUS MARINE WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY.
&&
.BEACHES...
AT 8 AM...THE SAN CLEMENTE BASIN BUOY SHOWED A SOUTHWEST SWELL AT
AROUND 4 FEET/19-21 SECONDS...AND THE NEARSHORE BUOYS SHOWED A
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SWELL AT 3 FEET/20 SECONDS. THIS IS LARGER THAN
WHAT THE WAVE WATCH 3 FORECAST OF ONLY 2 FEET SHOWED. CONSIDERING
THIS...ELEVATED SURF OF 4-6 FEET ALONG SOUTHWEST FACING BEACHES AND
WIDESPREAD STRONG RIP AND LONGSHORE CURRENTS IS LIKELY THROUGH
THURSDAY. THUS...A BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED...EFFECTIVE
THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SWELL
WILL SLOWLY LOWER FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND...DIMINISHING THE SURF AND
RIP CURRENT THREAT.
&&
.SKYWARN...
SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE VALLEYS...MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS. ACTIVATION
IS AGAIN POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON IN THE SAME AREAS. WEATHER
SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS SOON AS IS SAFELY POSSIBLE.
&&
.SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY
COASTAL AREAS...SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY
VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE...SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL
AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS...SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS.
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE BEACHES
IN THE ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS...SAN DIEGO COUNTY
COASTAL AREAS.
PZ...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...MAXWELL
AVIATION/MARINE/BEACHES...HARRISONThe San Diego radar (KNKX), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees and a light pole fell on two parked trucks in a shopping center near the intersection of Calle Verde and Avocado Blvd in La Mesa. The tree also damaged the awnings and door of the McDonalds.
CHP reported a tree down blocking the right lane near the intersection of Jamacha Boulevard and Doubletree Road. They also reported a school bus hit by a tree.
A spotter in Murrieta reported 50 mph winds with a wooden fence blown down and lawn furniture thrown across the yard.
Lightning struck a home near Crestline, resulting in a fire.
Heavy rain resulted in 2 inches of flowing water across Bundy Canyon Road and Harvest Way east.
The El Cariso mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 48 mph from a thunderstorm in the area. Downwind of this station, CHP reported a tree falling onto a power line on Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore, blocking traffic. Wind damage was also reported at Elsinore High School, with power lines down and some minor flooding.
The Lake Matthews mesonet station reported a gust of 50 mph due to a thunderstorm, which knocked down a tree, blocking all lanes of Glen Ivy Road a few miles north of the mesonet.
Montgomery Field ASOS recorded 0.80 inches of rain in less than one hour. Media reported 6 or more inches of water over a nearby roadway a short time later.
Multiple public photos show a funnel cloud just north of Big Bear Lake.
ASOS reported a gust of 56 mph around 1600 PST. Strong winds around this time flipped multiple small planes at the airfield.
The Mission Valley mesonet recorded a wind gust of 52 mph due to a thunderstorm. Media reported a tree falling on a car in Mission Valley nearby.
Multiple trees down and broken tree limbs throughout the neighborhood in Tierrasanta. Widespread minor damage to patio furniture, pop-up tents, and trampolines.
Two palm trees caught fire after a lightning strike.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in California, September 2014
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: 544090, 544092, 544093, 544094, 544096, 544097, 544099, 544101, 544100, 544102, 544103, 544104, 544105.