Flash Flood — San Luis Obispo, California

2008-01-04 · near Cambria, San Luis Obispo, California

Event narrative

California Highway Patrol reported flash flooding along San Simeon Creek Road.

Wider weather episode

In early January, a powerful Pacific storm brought strong winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and winter storm conditions to Central and Southern California. Rainfall totals between January 4th and 6th ranged from 2 to 5 inches over coastal areas to 5 to 11 inches in the foothills and mountains. The heaviest rainfall fell over favored south-facing mountain slopes. The total amount of rainfall, combined with rainfall rates around 1 inch per hour, produced numerous reports of flooding as well as mud and debris flows. The mountains received significant snowfall, espeically at the resort levels where 12 to 24 inches of snow fell. Along with the intense precipitation, the storm brought some very strong and gusty southerly winds to the area. The strongest winds were reported across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties as well as all mountain areas. The winds knocked down trees and power lines, producing numerous power outages.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.6134, -121.0700)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 75227. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.