A widespread elevated thunderstorm event occurred across northern San Diego, Orange, western Riverside and southwest San Bernardino counties lasting up to 24 hours and producing 2500 cloud to ground strikes (4000 total flashes) over the land and California bight waters. Toward the end of the episode thunderstorms affected southern San Diego county.
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.
A widespread elevated thunderstorm event occurred across northern San Diego, Orange, western Riverside and southwest San Bernardino counties lasting up to 24 hours and producing 2500 cloud to ground strikes (4000 total flashes) over the land and California bight waters. Toward the end of the episode thunderstorms affected southern San Diego county. An upper level trough approached the coast and tapped subtropical moisture from the south. The main area of showers and thunderstorms was oriented southwest to northeast from northern San Diego County and Orange County through the Inland Empire and up into San Bernardino County high deserts, training over this area for most of the day and night of the 23rd. Two-day rainfall totals were from one-quarter to one inch for most areas and locally just over one inch on the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino mountains. San Diego county had the least with 0.25 or less and the most was the greater Riverside area with up to an inch of rain. Minor street flooding occurred in Orange and Riverside Counties. Several power poles were downed or burned due to lightning strikes. One strike hit a football player practicing at Grossmont High School in El Cajon, but he survived.
The Santa Ana Mts radar (KSOX), 9 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:58 UTC.
6 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple utility poles down, likely caused by frequent cloud to ground lightning.
Multiple power lines and transformers damaged by lightning strikes.
CHP reported a fire due to power lines downed from a lightning strike.
Several power poles down across streets in Highland, with lines down across yards, likely due to a lightning strike. Lightning struck a power pole, pole and lines down on roadway southeast of Apple Valley.
The southbound lane on Highway 247 at Larrea Road was completely flooded.
Lightning struck a tree which caught on fire.
A teenage football player was sent to the emergency room after getting struck by lightning at Grossmont High School. The player survived the strike.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2016
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 663088, 663089, 663087, 663090, 663091, 663092, 663093.