Flash Flood — San Bernardino, California

2008-01-05 · near Chino Arpt, San Bernardino, California

Event narrative

A Ford F-250 with two occupants was swept away by flood waters while crossing Mill Creek at Chino Corona Rd. One male occupant was rescued after he was found hypothermic and clinging to a tree. The 25 year-old female driver was found dead about one mile downstream the following morning. Barricades had been placed across the road to prevent vehicles from crossing the creek, but an investigation later revealed that someone had illegally removed the barricades prior to the incident.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm swept through all of California with high winds, periods of heavy rain, and locally heavy snow. Strong upslope flow off the Pacific and a high freezing level fueled larged amounts of rainfall on the coastal slopes. The snow level fell late in the storm as colder air filtered in resulting in heavy snowfall at elevations above 6000 feet. Isolated flash flooding and debris flows were reported, mainly in the burn areas. Flash flooding in the Inland Empire resulted in one death.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.9464, -117.6143)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 75066. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.