Flood — Latah, Idaho

2012-03-26 to 2012-03-27 · near Moscow, Latah, Idaho

Event narrative

Moderate to major flooding occurred along Paradise Creek on the morning of March 26th flooding numerous streets, bridges, and homes within the city of Moscow, Idaho. The creek crested at ten feet, making it the fourth highest crest on record. Among the list of flooded streets, bridges, parks, and homes which were impacted from the flooding along Paradise Creek include: the intersection of Bridge and Hillcrest Streets, intersection at 5th and Roosevelt, D Street bridge, Main Street, Mountainview Park, the University of Idaho bike path, Blaine Street Bridge, South Lynn Street, and Sand Road.

Wider weather episode

A negatively tilted upper-level trough lifting through the Inland NW on the evening of March 25th through the morning hours of the 26th tapped into subtropical moisture resulting in moderate to heavy convective rainfall for central portions of the Idaho Panhandle. The heaviest rain was observed across the Idaho Palouse, Lewis-Clark Valley, and Central Panhandle Mountains. Twenty-four rainfall amounts across these locations ranged between three-quarters and one and a half inches. Several days earlier, moderate to heavy snowfall fell across these same locations. The combination of heavy rainfall and snow melt led to sharp rises and flooding along the Palouse River and its tributaries. The most significant flooding occurred along Paradise Creek, within the city of Moscow, Idaho.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (46.7446, -116.9709)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 367121. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.