Flood in Oregon, December 20 to 21, 2014

Name: Flood in Oregon, December 20 to 21, 2014
Start: 2014-12-20T22:15
End: 2014-12-21T12:00
Location: Oregon

December 20 to 21, 2014 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A sustained period of heavy precipitation brought flooding to a number of small and medium streams in Coos County in southwest Oregon.

Where it happened

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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 MFR wrote it up.

A sustained period of heavy precipitation brought flooding to a number of small and medium streams in Coos County in southwest Oregon.

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 Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 20, 2:45 PM PST, 7 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 20, 2:45 PM PST, 7 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
245 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

.SHORT TERM...HEAVY RAIN IS IMPACTING THE COAST TODAY WITH
MODERATE RAINFALL EXTENDING INLAND. SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A
LARGE AREA OF DEEP MOISTURE WITH 1.5 INCHES OF PRECIPITABLE WATER
OR MORE AIMED AT THE EXTREME SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA COAST. RAINFALL TOTALS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS ALONG
THE COAST HAVE RANGED FROM 2 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF
4 TO 6 INCHES IN THE COASTAL CURRY COUNTY MOUNTAINS. SIMILAR
AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS ON THE COAST.

ACROSS THE EASTERN PACIFIC, SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LARGE AREA
OF MOISTURE WITH 1.0 TO 1.5 INCHES PRECIPITABLE WATER EXTENDING
FROM THE OREGON COAST WESTWARD. AS STRONG ONSHORE FLOW CONTINUES
AND AN UPPER LEVEL JET PROVIDES CONTINUED SUPPORT ALOFT, EXPECT
VERY HIGH RAINFALL RATES ALONG THE COAST TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THROUGH
SUNDAY, HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO FORECAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN OREGON
CASCADES WITH MODERATE RAIN OVER THE INLAND WEST SIDE VALLEYS AND
LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN EAST OF THE CASCADES.

MODELS HAVE TRENDED HIGHER WITH FORECAST PRECIPITATION FROM THE
CASCADES WEST. INTEGRATED VERTICAL MOISTURE TRANSPORT FORECAST BY
THE MODELS SUPPORTS VERY HIGH RAINFALL RATES WITH IVT VALUES
FORECAST TO EXCEED 600 KG/MS OVER THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING
WITH PEAK VALUES AROUND 800 KG/MS THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY
SUNDAY. SO HAVE RAISED THE FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS WITH AROUND 4
TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN FORECAST IN THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES NORTH
OF HIGHWAY 140 AND IN THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS.  ALONG THE COAST
EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL 2.5 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL THIS EVENING
THROUGH SUNDAY. THESE AMOUNTS COMBINED WITH RAINFALL THAT HAS
ALREADY FALLEN ARE EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO
COASTAL AREAS AND FOR AREAS JUST INLAND INTO JOSEPHINE AND DOUGLAS
COUNTIES AND INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES. SMALL STREAM
FLOODING AND URBAN FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. ALSO HEAVY
RAIN WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR MUDSLIDES, LANDSLIDES OR OTHER
DEBRIS FLOW ON AREA ROADWAYS. GUSTY WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY
AND SUNDAY AND ALONG THE COAST THROUGH THIS EVENING, MAY ALLOW
ADDITIONAL HAZARDS AS WINDS COMBINE WITH HEAVY RAIN AND BRING
LOWERED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TREES DOWN.

STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED IN THE SHASTA
VALLEY AND FOR AREAS EAST OF THE CASCADES, ESPECIALLY IN THE
SUMMER LAKE AREA AND OVER THE MOUNTAINS. AS 700 MB WINDS INCREASE
TO 60 MPH OR MORE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT, EXPECT GUSTS TO
AROUND 70 MPH IN THE SUMMER LAKE AREA. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS OUT
FOR SUMMER LAKE AND HIGHER MOUNTAINS EAST OF THE CASCADES WITH A
WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY AND AREAS EAST OF THE
CASCADES. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER IN THE SHASTA VALLEY LATE
TONIGHT BUT CONTINUE EAST OF THE CASCADES THROUGH SUNDAY.

LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, MODELS ARE CONTINUING TO SHOW A RIDGE
BUILDING INTO THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHWEST WITH MOISTURE VALUES
DECREASING AND 700 MB FLOW BECOMING NORTHWEST EARLY MONDAY THEN
NORTHERLY DURING THE DAY MONDAY. THIS WILL BRING A DRIER AIR MASS
INTO THE AREA. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN INTENSITY AND
COVERAGE SUNDAY NIGHT THEN DIMINISH OVER THE AREA MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE CHANGE TO NORTHERLY FLOW.

ON TUESDAY, THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LIGHT RAIN FOR EXTREME
NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE CWA AS SOME MODELS INDICATE A FRONT TO
THE NORTH MAY EXTEND INTO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE AREA.
OTHERWISE EXPECT DRY WEATHER OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA.

.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... THE RIDGE IN PLACE
OVER THE WEST COAST TUESDAY WILL SLIDE EAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
PUSHES INTO THE REGION FROM THE PACIFIC. THE AIR MASS PRECEDING THE
FRONT WILL BE QUITE WARM, WITH SNOW LEVELS WELL ABOVE MOST AREA
PEAKS, BUT THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUX OF COLD AIR AS THE
FRONT PASSES WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE SUGGESTING A MORE
SEASONALLY TYPICAL MOISTURE CONTENT WITH THIS SYSTEM, SO RAINFALL
AMOUNT SHOULD NOT APPROACH VALUES SEEN WITH THE CURRENT WEEKEND
EVENT, BUT MODEST AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED.

FOR THOSE THINKING OF THE APPROACHING HOLIDAY, YES THERE WILL BE
MOISTURE AND COLD AIR MOVING INTO THE REGION CHRISTMAS EVE. HOWEVER,
MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL AS RAIN, WITH SNOW LEVELS NOT
DROPPING FAR ENOUGH FOR SIGNIFICANT AREA COVERAGE UNTIL MOST OF THE
MOISTURE HAS LEFT THE AREA. THE END RESULT WILL DEPEND GREATLY UPON
ONE'S LOCATION, WITH THE COAST AND THE WEST SIDE VALLEYS SEEING ONLY
RAIN, AND WAKING UP TO A WET CHRISTMAS MORNING. NOW THE GOOD NEWS,
FOR THOSE ABOVE 2500 TO 3000 FEET, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF FRESHLY
FALLEN SNOW CHRISTMAS MORNING, ALTHOUGH AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS ELEVATION ALSO INCLUDES MANY AREA PASSES,
INCLUDING SISKIYOU SUMMIT, SNOWMAN'S SUMMIT, BLACK BUTTE SUMMIT, AND
ALL OF THE CASCADE PASSES. LAST MINUTE TRAVEL IN THOSE AREAS COULD
BE IMPACTED, SO THOSE EXPECTING TO TRAVEL DURING THIS TIME SHOULD
STAY UPDATED WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND KEEP AN EYE ON DOT ROAD
CONDITIONS.

BEYOND CHRISTMAS, THERE IS FAIRLY GOOD CONFIDENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF RIDGING OVERHEAD. THIS SHOULD KEEP MOST OF THE AREA DRY, ALTHOUGH
SOME PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST
AREA AS SWIFT MIDLEVEL FLOW IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE PUSHING MOISTURE
ONSHORE. THIS TIME OF YEAR, HIGH PRESSURE USUALLY RESULTS IN
SIGNIFICANT VALLEY FOG. WITH THAT IN MIND, THE NEXT FRONT EXPECTED
TO APPROACH AND POSSIBLY CLEAR THE AREA WOULD BE ON SATURDAY,
HOWEVER, MODELS ARE NOT IN CLEAR AGREEMENT, NOR DO THEY SHOW A
STRONG FRONT. CONFIDENCE IS THEREFORE LOW, SO HAVE NOT ADDED MORE
THAN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. -BPN

&&

.AVIATION...BASED ON THE 20/18Z TAF CYCLE...EXPECT VFR
WITH AREAS OF MVFR CIGS/VIS EARLY TODAY TO DETERIORATE TO WIDESPREAD
MVFR WITH TERRAIN OBSCURED BY THIS AFTERNOON. LOCAL IFR IS ALSO
POSSIBLE. LOWERED FLIGHT CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST
SUNDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT TO MODERATE...EXCEPT AT
THE COAST AND IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE IT WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES. LOW-
LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL BE ENDING AT THE COAST AS WINDS BEGIN TO
SURFACE, BUT MAY CONTINUE AT KRBG THROUGH 15Z.
-BPN

&&

.MARINE...UPDATED 230 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014...WINDS HAVE DECREASED
BELOW GALES AND WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH THROUGH SUNDAY THEN REMAIN
RELATIVELY LIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. SEAS WILL ALSO FALL THROUGH
SUNDAY AS BOTH SWELL AND WIND WAVE GRADUALLY DIMINISH. THE WIND
WAVE COMPONENT WILL BE MUCH LESS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY, BUT
MODERATE WEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE AND THUS A SMALL CRAFT FOR
HAZARDOUS SEAS HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A STRONG COLD
MAY BRING MODERATE NORTH WINDS AND WIND WAVES TO THE AREA
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. -WRIGHT

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST SUNDAY FOR ORZ030-031-624-625.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ORZ025-027-617-623-624.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ORZ024-618-621.
     HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
     ORZ021-022-615-618.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ORZ616-619-620.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ORZ021-022-615.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR ORZ023.

CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST SUNDAY FOR CAZ085-285.
     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM PST SUNDAY FOR CAZ081-281.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 4 AM PST SUNDAY FOR
     PZZ350-356-370-376.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING
     TO 10 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ350-356-370-376.
     HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
     PZZ350-356-370-376.

CC/BPN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 20, 4:40 PM PST, 5 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
440 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0440 PM     HEAVY RAIN       3 NE BANDON             43.14N 124.37W
12/20/2014  M2.14 INCH       COOS               OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION 4 MILES NE OF BANDON.

&&

MND

Local storm report, Dec 20, 4:47 PM PST, 5 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
447 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0447 PM     HEAVY RAIN       1 NNW HARBOR            42.05N 124.26W
12/20/2014  M4.93 INCH       CURRY              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 22 HOURS 30 MINUTES.
            OBSERVER LOCATION 4 MI N OF CA BORDER ON
            EASTSIDE HWY 101.

&&

MND

Local storm report, Dec 20, 5:12 PM PST, 5 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
512 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0510 PM     HEAVY RAIN       5 NNW BROOKINGS         42.13N 124.33W
12/20/2014  M7.06 INCH       CURRY              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            1.67 INCHES IN JUST THE LAST 4 HOURS. HEAVY
            RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER LOCATION
            CAPE FERRELO AREA 5M N 4BK - 1.

&&

NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Dec 20, 5:52 PM PST, 4 hours 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
552 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0548 PM     HEAVY RAIN       GOLD BEACH              42.41N 124.42W
12/20/2014  M10.00 INCH      CURRY              OR   PUBLIC

            40 YEAR RESIDENT NEAR HUNTER CREEK. CREEK
            FULL, BUT NOT FLOODING. REPORT RELAYED AS
            RELIABLE PER A TRAINED SPOTTER. HEAVY RAIN
            DURATION 24 HOURS.

0500 PM     HEAVY RAIN       1 E BANDON              43.12N 124.39W
12/20/2014  M7.00 INCH       COOS               OR   PUBLIC

            TRAINED SPOTTER DON S. ALSO REPORTED THAT
            JOHNSON CREEK IS FULL AND THE DRAINAGE
            DITCHES ARE ALL FULL. NO FLOODING YET. HEAVY
            RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS.

0500 PM     HEAVY RAIN       KERBY                   42.19N 123.65W
12/20/2014  M1.73 INCH       JOSEPHINE          OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOUR AMOUNT 5PM-5PM. KERBY, OR. HEAVY
            RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER LOCATION
            MIDDLE OF KERBY BEHIND STONE FRONT TAVERN.

&&

NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Dec 20, 7:06 PM PST, 3 hours 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
706 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0700 PM     HEAVY RAIN       4 SSW ELKTON            43.58N 123.60W
12/20/2014  M1.30 INCH       DOUGLAS            OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            7AM-7PM PST RAINFALL AMOUNT. LOCATION IS
            NEAR ELKTON. HEAVY RAIN DURATION 12 HOURS.
            OBSERVER LOCATION 6 MILES SOUTH OF ELKTON.

&&

NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEM

Local storm report, Dec 20, 7:11 PM PST, 3 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
711 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2014

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

0700 PM     HEAVY RAIN       BROOKINGS               42.06N 124.29W
12/20/2014  M2.50 INCH       CURRY              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            36 HOUR TOTAL HAS BEEN OVER 5 INCHES. HEAVY
            RAIN DURATION 12 HOURS. OBSERVER LOCATION .5
            MILES DUE NORTH OF DOWNTOWN.

&&

NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Coos

When: December 20, 10:15 PM PST to December 21, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Coos County, 0.5 mi W of Sitkum to 0.85 mi WSW of Sitkum
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.150, -123.860

A spotter at Sitkum reported that the East Fork of the Coquille River was flooded at its junction with Brummit Creek overflowed its banks at around 20/2215 PST. A spotter 2NNW Sitkum reported that Brummit Creek was over its banks near where it empties into the East Fork of the Coquille River. Flooding started at around 21/0225 PST. At 21/0932 PST, the spotter at Sitkum reported water has reached a gymnasium structure and small amounts of water were on the floor. The Sitkum-County Line road was under about 2 feet of water east of the bridge over Brummit Creek. At the time of the report the water was beginning to recede.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, December 2014

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 545917.