Idaho, 2014Flash Flood in Idaho, August 14, 2014
August 14, 2014 · NWS MSO · 1 event in 1 county or zone
An upper level wave initiated a thunderstorm that produced very heavy rainfall and subsequently a debris flow along Magruder Road.
Every event with a place to put it. 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- 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.
An upper level wave initiated a thunderstorm that produced very heavy rainfall and subsequently a debris flow along Magruder Road.
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 Missoula, MT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 12:39 PM PST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 14, 12:39 PM PST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Missoula MT
239 PM MDT Thu Aug 14 2014
...More Showers and Thunderstorms through Friday...
...Drier and a little warmer Saturday into early next week...
.DISCUSSION...A very moist and unstable atmosphere will support widespread
showers and thunderstorms through this evening over the northern
Rockies. Isolated thunderstorms could become severe over western
Montana into this evening. A very favorable low level wind
environment for possible rotating updrafts is developing late
Thursday afternoon. The rotating updrafts act to prolong the storm life
and often result in heavier rain and larger hail. Please
note...most areas will just see showers and modest thunderstorms,
although. The mostly likely area to see an isolated severe
thunderstorm is from about Libby and Polson southward across the
remainder of western Montana, as well as the eastern Clearwater
Mountains of Idaho. Also, given how moist the atmosphere is (much
higher moisture content than normal), the potential for local
heavy rain cores within storms and flash flooding is a distinct
possibility. The main watch areas for flash flooding is the Lolo Fire
Complex (immediately west of Lolo) and the flood prone areas near
Drummond and Bearmouth.
The main low pressure system that has been over the Pacific
Northwest will be shifting a little further eastward towards
northern Idaho and western Montana Friday. This will further cool
the atmosphere. However, it will also produce a very unstable
atmosphere and widespread showers across north central Idaho and
western Montana. Most areas of north central Idaho and western
Montana should see wetting showers (or more than 0.10" precipitation).
The drying trend should start on Saturday with a drier northwest
flow gradually developing. However, some moisture and instability
should linger over mainly northwest Montana.
The air mass should continue to slowly dry Sunday into early next
week under a more westerly flow aloft. This should translate into
a slow warming trend as well.
In the very long term, models are surprisingly consistent showing
a rather cool trough of low pressure developing over the northern
Rockies later next week. Stay tuned. It could be a significant
pattern change.
&&
AVIATION...A very unstable and moist atmosphere will be over north
central Idaho and western Montana into tonight. A very favorable
lower level wind environment is also expected and could support
rotating updrafts within stronger storms. Overall, this translates
into scattered showers and thunderstorms with a few very strong
thunderstorms possible. Although most storms should have moderate
to heavy rain cores and gusty winds...isolated storms could also
produce very large hail across western Montana this evening. KMSO
and KBTM appear most susceptible to the stronger storms.
&&
.MSO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MT...None.
ID...None.
&&
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
https://www.facebook.com/NWSMissoula
https://www.twitter.com/NWSMissoula
Flash Flood, Idaho
- When
- August 14, 2:02 PM PST to 3:02 PM PST
- Where
- Idaho County, 27.39 mi E of Red River Hot Spgs to 29.01 mi ESE of Red River Hot Spgs
- Cause
- Heavy Rain / Burn Area
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 45.706, -114.642
A heavy thunderstorm produced heavy rains and severe mudslides along the Magruder Corridor mainly between Scimitar Creek and the CCC Camp. There were about 6 washouts reported with large trees and rock debris making the road impassable. Timing was based on radar data.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Lightning Strike in Arizona, August 14, 20141 death · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Idaho, August 14, 2014$547,000 · 1.25 in hail · 7 events
- Heavy Rain in Florida, August 14, 20145 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, August 14, 20144 events
- Heavy Rain in Arizona, August 14, 20144 events
- Flash Flooding in Utah, August 14 to 15, 20143 events
- Coastal Flood in Maine, August 14, 2014$2,000 · 2 events
- Hail in South Dakota, August 14, 20141.25 in hail · 2 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, August 14, 20142 events
- Funnel Clouds in Florida, August 14, 20142 events
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, August 14, 20142 events
- Coastal Flood in New Hampshire, August 14, 2014$1,000 · 1 event
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: 538418.