Flood in Oregon, December 21 to 26, 2014

Name: Flood in Oregon, December 21 to 26, 2014
Start: 2014-12-21T12:30
End: 2014-12-26T14:00
Location: Oregon

December 21 to 26, 2014 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rain brought flooding to several rivers 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Heavy rain brought flooding to several rivers 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 21, 8:50 AM PST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 21, 8:50 AM PST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
850 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

.SHORT TERM...MOIST ONSHORE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MODERATE
RAIN INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA TODAY WITH MAINLY LIGHT
RAIN EAST OF THE CASCADES. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH CONTINUED
RAIN TODAY AND SHOWING RAIN DECREASING THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT AS
RIDGING BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA BRINGING DRIER NORTHWEST
FLOW. RAINFALL WILL DIMINISH FOR MOST AREA BY LATE MONDAY
AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY EVENING, WITH ONLY SOME CONTINUED LIGHT RAIN
EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND OTHER HIGHER TERRAIN.

THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS FORECAST CYCLE WILL BE WITH THE FLOOD
POTENTIAL AS RAINFALL THAT OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 2 DAYS AND
CONTINUED MODERATE RAINFALL TODAY, BRINGS SIGNIFICANT RISES TO
AREA RIVERS. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE COQUILLE RIVER
AT COQUILLE AND SMALL STREAMS IN THE SITKUM AND POWERS AREAS AS
WELL AS FOR THE SOUTH UMPQUA RIVER AT TILLER. ALSO A FLOOD WATCH
IS OUT FOR THE SOUTH FORK OF THE COQUILLE RIVER AT MYRTLE POINT.
AREAS FLOOD WATCHES ARE CONTINUING TODAY FOR SMALL STREAM AND
URBAN FLOODING POTENTIAL DUE HEAVY RAIN FOR AREAS FROM THE
SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES WEST. EXPECT TO ISSUE UPDATES ON THESE
RIVER PRODUCTS LATER THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS HAVE LOWERED FOR COASTAL LOCATIONS AND INTO
THE SHASTA VALLEY BUT HIGH WINDS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE CASCADES
AND FOR AREAS EAST OF THE CASCADES, ESPECIALLY SUMMER LAKE AND THE
MOUNTAINS WHERE A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES TODAY INTO THIS
EVENING.

&&

.AVIATION...FOR THE 21/12Z TAF CYCLE...A MOIST PACIFIC JET STREAM
REMAINS AIMED AT OUR AREA. WIDESPREAD MTN OBSCURATION WITH RAIN AND
MVFR CIGS/VIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR
WILL AFFECT ALL AREAS. LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN CEILINGS TONIGHT AS
HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BULD WITH VALLEY IFR FOG BECOMING WIDESPREAD
INLAND. MTS

&&

.MARINE...UPDATED 730 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014...WINDS HAVE DECREASED
BELOW SMAL CRAFT ADVISORY AND BOTH SWELL AND WIND WAVE HAVE
DECREASED. MODERATE WEST SWELL WILL CONTINUE AND THUS A SMALL CRAFT
FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH A NEW LONG
PERIOD WEST SWELL ARRIVING BY TUESDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT MAY
BRING MODERATE WINDS AND WIND WAVES TO THE AREA WEDNESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY. MTS

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 350 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014/

DISCUSSION...A MAJOR PRECIPITATION EVENT CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN
OREGON AND IS CAUSING FLOODING IMPACTS AT THE COAST...COAST
RANGE...CASCADE FOOTHILLS...AND CASCADES. RIVERS CONTINUE TO
RISE...AND WILL GENERALLY CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING AT
LEAST...AND INTO THE AFTERNOON IN SOME PLACES.

RAIN RATES CONTINUE TO BE HIGH THIS MORNING...WITH 1 HOUR RATES OF A
THIRD TO HALF AN INCH ACROSS PORTIONS OF COOS...CURRY...AND DOUGLAS
COUNTIES.  A WHOPPING 24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL NEAR 9 INCHES HAS
OCCURRED AT RED MOUND NEAR THE CURRY COUNTY COAST. IN ADDITION...THE
AFTERNOON BALLOON SOUNDING REGISTERED 1.07 INCHES OF PRECIPITABLE
WATER WHICH RANKS 7TH FOR DECEMBER SOUNDINGS AND IS 3 STANDARD
DEVIATIONS HIGHER THAN NORMAL. IN OTHER WORDS...THIS IS A VERY JUICY
AIR MASS.

THE DURATION OF THE HEAVY RAIN IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF
THIS SYSTEM...AND WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE THERE WILL HAVE BEEN
ESSENTIALLY 48 HOURS OF 500 KG/MS INTEGRATED VAPOR TRANSPORT ACROSS
THE AREA. THESE IVT VALUES SUGGEST THIS TYPE OF RAIN EVENT OCCURS
ONLY ONCE IN 5-10 YEARS FOR THE COAST AND CASCADES. IMPACTS THUS FAR
HAVE BEEN AT LEAST ONE RIVER...THE EAST FORK OF THE COQUILLE NEAR
SITKUM...OVERFLOWING ITS BANKS LATE LAST NIGHT WHICH PROMPTED THE
ISSUANCE OF AN AREAL FLOOD WARNING FOR EASTERN COOS COUNTY THAT WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING. AREAL FLOOD WATCHES COVER MUCH OF THE
REST OF THE AREA FROM THE CASCADES WEST. A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES
FOR THE COQUILLE AT COQUILLE AT FLSMFR...WITH MINOR FLOODING
FORECAST TO BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON. ADDITIONALLY...HIGH WATER HAS BEEN
REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 101 AT THE COAST AND HIGHWAY 138 IN THE CASCADE
FOOTHILLS...WITH ROCKS THE SIZE OF BASKETBALLS FALLING ON HIGHWAY
138 AND BEING REPORTED BY ODOT. NEEDLESS TO SAY...TRAVEL ON THESE
ROADS THIS MORNING WILL BE HAZARDOUS...AND DRIVERS NEED TO USE
EXTRA CAUTION IF VENTURING OUT IN THESE AREAS.

SNOW LEVELS ARE HIGH AT THIS MOMENT...ABOVE 7000 FEET...AND WILL
REMAIN HIGH THROUGH TODAY. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUSTY EAST OF
THE CASCADES AND A HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORY CONTINUE AT
NPWMFR.

VALLEYS LIKE THE ROGUE HAVE BEEN SHELTERED FROM THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
RAIN WITH ONLY 0.22 INCHES IN THE PAST 24 HOURS...WITH DOWNSLOPING
DRYING THE VALLEY OUT COMPARED TO HIGHER TERRAIN. MEDFORD STILL WILL
LIKELY SEE AT LEAST A HALF INCH OF RAIN FROM THIS SYSTEM THOUGH.

ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO A CHRISTMAS EVE COLD UPPER TROUGH WHICH
ARRIVES THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING OF THE 24TH...AND BRINGS WITH IT A
GOOD CHANCE FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 3000 FEET.
MODEL CONSENSUS AT THIS TIME BETWEEN THE EC AND GFS SUGGESTS FOLKS
COULD GO TO SLEEP CHRISTMAS EVE WITH RAIN OR RAIN/SNOW MIX...OR DRY
CONDITIONS EAST OF THE CASCADES...AND WAKE UP TO A FEW INCHES OR
MORE OF THE WHITE STUFF. WE WILL BE WORKING HARD TO FINE-TUNE THIS
FORECAST IN THE NEXT FEW SHIFTS...AND CONVEY ANY WEATHER MESSAGES
ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT WINTRY EVENT.

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
     ORZ030-031-624-625.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ORZ025-027-616-624.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ORZ024-618-619.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ORZ026-620>623.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ORZ021-022-615.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ORZ023.
     FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR ORZ617.

CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CAZ085-285.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 10 AM PST THURSDAY
     FOR PZZ350-356-370-376.

CC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 21, 8:04 AM PST, 4 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
804 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 ESE COOS BAY          43.35N 124.09W
12/21/2014  M1.87 INCH       COOS               OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS A 12 HOUR RAINFALL
            REPORT ENDING AT 8:00 AM OF 1.87 INCHES.
            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 12 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION 12 MI SE OF COOS BAY.

&&

BS

Local storm report, Dec 21, 8:15 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
815 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       3 SSE COOS BAY          43.34N 124.20W
12/21/2014  M2.02 INCH       COOS               OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS 24 HOUR RAINFALL
            TOTAL ENDING AT 8:00 AM TO BE 2.02 INCHES.
            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION 1 MI S COOS BAY ON HWY 101.

&&

BS

Local storm report, Dec 21, 8:24 AM PST, 4 hours 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
824 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       5 NNW BROOKINGS         42.12N 124.32W
12/21/2014  M2.30 INCH       CURRY              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS A 12 HOUR RAINFALL
            TOTAL ENDING AT 8:00 AM OF 2.30 INCHES.
            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 12 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION 5 MI N OF BROOKINGS NEAR CAPE
            FERRELO.

&&

BS

Local storm report, Dec 21, 8:49 AM PST, 3 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
849 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0800 AM     HEAVY RAIN       7 NNE POWERS            42.97N 124.01W
12/21/2014  M2.32 INCH       COOS               OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED A 15 HOUR RAINFALL
            TOTAL ENDING AT 8:00 AM OF 2.32 INCHES.
            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 15 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION MILE MARKER 30 ON HWY 42.

&&

BS

Local storm report, Dec 21, 8:59 AM PST, 3 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
859 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0830 AM     HEAVY RAIN       5 NNE SELMA             42.35N 123.57W
12/21/2014  M1.07 INCH       JOSEPHINE          OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS A 24 HOUR RAINFALL
            TOTAL ENDING AT 8:30 AM OF 1.07 INCHES.
            HEAVY RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER
            LOCATION AT THE BASE OF HAYES HILL.

&&

BS

Local storm report, Dec 21, 9:36 AM PST, 2 hours 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
936 AM PST SUN DEC 21 2014

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

0932 AM     FLOOD            SITKUM                  43.15N 123.86W
12/21/2014                   COOS               OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            BRUMMIT CREAK NEAR THE JUNCTION OF EAST FORK
            OF THE COQUILLE HAS RISEN OUT OF IT'S BANKS
            DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL. FLOOD WATERS HAVE
            REACHED A GYMNASIUM STRUCTURE ALONG THE
            RIVER WITH A A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER INSIDE
            ON THE FLOOR. THERE IS FLOODING ALSO ON THE
            SITKUM-COUNTY LINE ROAD EAST OF THE BRIDGE
            OVER THE BRUMMIT CREEK. THE ROADWAY IN UNDER
            AN ESTIMATED 2 FEET OF WATER. FLOODWATERS
            ARE BEGINNING TO RECEED SLIGHTLY.

&&

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 21, 12:30 PM PST to December 26, 2:00 PM PST
Where: Coos County, Bandon to 1.51 mi NW of Bullards
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 43.120, -124.420

The Coquille River at Coquille exceeded the minor flood stage of 21.0 feet at 21/1230 PST and exceeded the moderate flood stage of 23.0 feet at 21/2030 PST. The river crested at 24.17 feet between 22/1030 and 22/1045 PST. The river dropped below moderate flood stage at 24/0015 PST, and dropped below minor flood stage at 26/1400 PST.

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: 545932.