Flash Flood — San Bernardino, California

2017-02-17 to 2017-02-18 · near Cajon, San Bernardino, California

Event narrative

Flood waters and related erosion caused a collapse of lane number 5 along Interstate 15. A fire truck and big rig were caught up and destroyed in the collapse. No injuries were reported but damages to the Interstate reached into the millions.

Wider weather episode

A strong trough and associated Pacific cold front swept into Southern California from the west, bringing strong winds, heavy snow and rain. The storm was noteworthy for the strong prefrontal southerly winds that produced significant tree damage over the coast and valleys. In the mountains the ski resorts received 1-2 ft of snow, while elevations as low as 5,000 ft saw a few inches of accumulation. Rainfall ranged from 2-6 inches along the coastal slopes to 1-2 inches at the coast. At the beaches surf heights reached 8 to 12 ft. Damages, primarily from wind, reached into the millions of dollars.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.3124, -117.4797)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 681033. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.