Flood — Se Kern Cty Desert, California

2005-01-09 to 2005-01-10 · Se Kern Cty Desert, California

Wider weather episode

Substantial rain from the 7th through the 10th resulted in widespread sheet flow and ponding of water in the Kern County portion of the Mojave Desert. Up to 100 homes were damaged by water with roadways inundated in the Rosamond area. A little farther north the Redrock-Randsburg Road was washed out along with several other roadways damaged in the vicinity. In the Tehachapi Mountains Cummings Valley Road near Bear Valley Springs and the Lockwood Valley area experienced flooding over roadways due to the heavy rain. Rainfall totals in the Kern County Desert included a 24-hour rainfall total of 2.57" in Rosamond ending the morning of the 10th with 0.75" of that total coming in a 2-hour period from 0630 to 0830 PST. Highway 14 was closed between Rosamond and Mojave due to extensive water on the roadway. Ponded and water overflowing from Bear Creek in the Merced area from heavy rainfall damaged a handful of homes on the 11th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.5833, -121.1667)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5438324. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.