Flood and Heavy Rain in Washington, October 31, 2015

Name: Flood and Heavy Rain in Washington, October 31, 2015
Start: 2015-10-31T12:30
End: 2015-10-31T23:59
Location: Washington

October 31, 2015 · NWS PQR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

despite the preceding low river stage. The heavy rain also resulted in a minor mud slide in Washougal as well as minor flooding in Camas.

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: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 PQR wrote it up.

A slow moving cold front associated with an atmospheric river of subtropical moisture produced heavy rain across Southwest Washington that resulted in flooding of the Grays River near Rosburg...despite the preceding low river stage. The heavy rain also resulted in a minor mud slide in Washougal as well as minor flooding in Camas.

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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 8:30 AM PST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 8:30 AM PST, 4 hours before

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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, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Wahkiakum

When: October 31, 12:30 PM PST to 11:59 PM PST
Where: Wahkiakum County, 1 mi SW of Rosburg to 0.5 mi WSW of Rosburg
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 46.320, -123.645

Heavy rain resulted in Flooding of the Grays River. Grays River reached flood stage at 1230 pm on October 31, and crested at 14.7 feet at 415 pm. The river dropped below flood stage at 1215 AM November 1st. The local Sheriff confirmed that water from the river flooded the nearby Covered Bridge Road.

Heavy Rain, Clark

When: October 31, 1:00 PM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: Clark County, 1 mi E of Washougal to 2 mi W of Camas
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 45.580, -122.329

There were several reports of 3 to 4 inches of 24-hour Rain totals in Clark County. A trained spotter reported that the Washougal River was near bank full. Another weather spotter reported a minor mudslide on Washougal River Road between mile posts 3 and 4 where the debris was 3 inches deep. An Emergency Manager claimed were three residential floodings, several places with high water, and two road closures (Southeast Mill Plain and Southeast Village Loop).

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.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, October 2015

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 601389, 601390.