Washington, 2017

Debris Flow in Washington, October 22, 2017

October 22, 2017 · NWS OTX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An atmospheric river of Pacific moisture brought heavy rain to the East Slopes of the Cascades on the 21st and 22nd of October. 52 inches of rain from the morning of the 21st to the morning of the 22nd.

Where it happened

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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 OTX wrote it up.

An atmospheric river of Pacific moisture brought heavy rain to the East Slopes of the Cascades on the 21st and 22nd of October. The Steheken COOP station reported 2.52 inches of rain from the morning of the 21st to the morning of the 22nd. 2.15 inches was recorded at Dryden, and 1.30 inches at Chelan. This rain saturated the ground and created a debris flow across the South Lake Shore Road along Lake Chelan.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 22, 4:15 AM PST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 22, 4:15 AM PST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 22, 4:41 AM PST, 1 hour 19 minutes 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 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.

Debris Flow, Chelan

When
October 22, 6:00 AM PST to 6:30 AM PST
Where
Chelan County, 2.89 mi NW of Manson to 2.73 mi NW of Manson
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
47.906, -120.219

Heavy rain produced a debris flow across South Lake Shore Road at Slide Ridge near Manson. A 16 foot wide slide of mud, logs and rocks temporarily closed the highway.

What these are

Debris Flow
A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, October 2017

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: 723952.