Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, July 21 to 24, 2024

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, July 21 to 24, 2024
Start: 2024-07-21T14:20
End: 2024-07-24T17:30
Location: California

July 21 to 24, 2024 · NWS VEF · 13 events in 2 counties and zones

Monsoon moisture advecting around the periphery of the big ridge causing excessive heat fueled scattered thunderstorms. Several storms produced high winds and/or flooding.

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: $77,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 VEF wrote it up.

Monsoon moisture advecting around the periphery of the big ridge causing excessive heat fueled scattered thunderstorms. Several storms produced high winds and/or flooding.

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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 11:27 AM PST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 11:27 AM PST, 2 hours 53 minutes before

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The radar

The San Joaquin Valley radar (KHNX), 149 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 flash flood, 6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Inyo

When: July 21, 2:20 PM PST
Where: Inyo County, 5.95 mi NNE of Bishop Creek
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 37.329, -118.538

Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino

When: July 22, 1:02 PM PST to 1:16 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 2.42 mi NNE of Moore
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 35.414, -115.260

Flash Flood, Inyo

When: July 22, 3:34 PM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where: Inyo County, 7.77 mi W of Lone Pine to 7.71 mi W of Lone Pine
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.602, -118.210

Heavy rain triggered a landslide along Whitney Portal Road, blocking both lanes with large boulders.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino

When: July 22, 3:45 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 1.13 mi SW of Hector
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.790, -116.466

Thunderstorm winds blew over a big rig on I-40 just west of Hector.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When: July 22, 9:30 PM PST to 11:30 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 24.43 mi WSW of Horse Thief Spgs to 24.41 mi WSW of Horse Thief Spgs
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.689, -116.304

Water and debris were all over Highway 127 at Dumont Dunes Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino

When: July 23, 11:47 AM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 2.07 mi W of Twenty Nine Palms
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.124, -116.086

One tree branch was blown down, and pea size hail also fell.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When: July 23, 12:30 PM PST to 2:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 2.8 mi W of Twenty Nine Palms to 1.29 mi W of Twenty Nine Palms
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 34.135, -116.099

Highway 62 was flooded in multiple places from Mesquite Springs Rd to Encelia Dr.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When: July 23, 12:51 PM PST to 2:30 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 0.84 mi NW of Twenty Nine Palms to 0.83 mi NW of Twenty Nine Palms
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.139, -116.061

Three roads were closed due to flooding.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When: July 23, 3:00 PM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 5.53 mi S of Kelso to 8.94 mi SSW of Kelso
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 34.940, -115.650

Kelbaker Rd was closed from I-40 to Kelso Depot due to flash flooding and debris flow. The road reopened on 7/25.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino

When: July 24, 2:55 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 1.16 mi ENE of (Nxp)mcaf Twentynine
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.137, -115.931

A power pole was blown down at Highway 62 and Godwin Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Bernardino

When: July 24, 2:57 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 3.05 mi SSE of Bush
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.109, -115.680

Three large trees were blown down and trailers were blown over near mile marker 55 on Highway 62.

Flash Flood, San Bernardino

When: July 24, 3:07 PM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: San Bernardino County, 1.16 mi ENE of (Nxp)mcaf Twentynine to 1.2 mi ENE of (Nxp)mcaf Twentynine
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.137, -115.932

The intersection of Highway 62 and Godwin Rd was flooded.

Flash Flood, Inyo

When: July 24, 3:29 PM PST to 5:30 PM PST
Where: Inyo County, 1.31 mi W of Deep Spgs to 1.14 mi NW of Deep Spgs
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 37.370, -118.004

Highway 168 was flooded with water, rocks, and debris near Deep Springs Ranch Rd. A plow had to clear the road.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in California, July 2024

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: 1205875, 1205878, 1205880, 1205882, 1205883, 1205886, 1205890, 1205894, 1205902, 1205906, 1205910, 1205913, 1205920.