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#           Floods in California      

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      By California Water Science Center      October 25, 2023    

## Monitoring high-water events

### USGS hydrologic technician measures streamflow at the Cosumnes River at Michigan Bar, California on December 31, 2022. This was the highest direct measurement ever recorded at this site—63,700 cubic feet per second—in over 100 years of record. 

View site data

            -              Overview           
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            -              Multimedia           
            -              Publications           
            -              News           

Throughout the nation, the USGS operates a streamgage network in near real-time that helps emergency managers and others protect life and property due to floods and other water-related hazards. The USGS California Water Science Center maintains nearly 500 streamgages that provides key streamflow and water level data for flood forecasters, the public, and emergency managers at the federal, state, county, and local levels. During any given water year, USGS hydrographers verify the continuous data at each streamgage by inspecting water level sensor operation and measuring the range of observed flows, including at high flows.

**USGS WaterAlert** automatically sends email or SMS text messages when certain parameters, as measured by a USGS real-time data-collection station, exceed user-defined thresholds.

Back to Floods topic page

View Media Details

### Atmospheric Rivers (AR’s)

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow corridors moving through the atmosphere where water vapor is transported at high rates. These AR’s move moisture from the tropics in the Pacific over to the western coast of the United States. AR’s are responsible for great quantities of rain and have been identified to have a significant role in generating flooding across the western United States. They can also fuel strong winter storms that contribute to beneficial increases in snowpack.

### Fall and Winter Weather: El Niño

El Niño is a naturally occurring event characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. El Niño has come to refer to a whole complex of Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature changes and global weather events. If El Niño conditions are present during the winter, the jet stream pattern over the U.S. shifts and can result in a wetter-than-average winter across the southern tier of the U.S., including portions of California.

On October 11, 2018, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center issued an El Niño watch for the Northern Hemisphere. All four Niño values increased over the last month indicating a developing El Niño. El Niño is favored to form in the next couple of months and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2018-19 (70-75% chance; click CPC/IRI consensus forecast for the chance of each outcome for each 3-month period). Typical El Niño patterns in California include increased rainfall with the potential for accompanying floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. The effects are variable across the state and are more predictable in Southern California. For fall and winter 2018, NOAA’s temperature outlook suggests warmer than normal climate patterns and normal to wetter than normal precipitation patterns in California.

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Mark R Dickman

##### Associate Director for Data

California Water Science Center

mdickman@usgs.gov

916-666-9951

#### Louis A Caldwell

##### Deputy Associate Director for Data

California Water Science Center

lacald@usgs.gov

619-988-5805

### Explore Search

                      - Floods
                      - Streamflow
                      - Surface Water Supply
                      - Advanced Capabilities and Research
                      - Hydrologic Extremes
                      - Measuring and Monitoring
                      - Surface Water
                      - ALERT Streamgages
                      - Monitoring
                      - Runoff
                      - Water
                      - streamgages
                      - in-situ monitoring
                      - debris flow
                      - ALERT streamgages

View All **

The California Water Science Center studies various aspects of floods.  You can find additional flood science below. 

link

December 21, 2018

####                 California Streamgage Information              

California Water Science Center

link

December 21, 2018

####   California Streamgage Information

Learn More

link

November 26, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Yuba River Basin, Northeastern California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting              

California Water Science Center

link

November 26, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Yuba River Basin, Northeastern California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting

Learn More

link

November 5, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Kings River Basin, California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting              

California Water Science Center

link

November 5, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Kings River Basin, California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting

Learn More

link

October 26, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Tuolumne River Basin, Central California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting.              

California Water Science Center

link

October 26, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Tuolumne River Basin, Central California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting.

Learn More

link

June 5, 2018

####                 Post-Fire Flooding and Debris Flow              

California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

link

June 5, 2018

####   Post-Fire Flooding and Debris Flow

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

####                 California Flood Activity Alerts              

USGS Project Alert Notices RSS feed includes response summaries of USGS streamgaging network activity during storm events in California. These Notices are produced by USGS Streamgaging Programs nationally and can be found on the USGS Current Floods Website.

California Water Science Center

####                 USGS Flood Event Viewer - Network              

The USGS operates an event-based mobile storm-surge sensor network to capture information about coastal and inland storm tides.

New Jersey Water Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Santa Maria River Flooding

March 1, 2017

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

A USGS hydrologic technician takes streamflow measurements during flooding of the Sisquoc River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River, near the town of Garey in Santa Barbara County. 

California, California Water Science Center

March 1, 2017

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

A USGS hydrologic technician takes streamflow measurements during flooding of the Sisquoc River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River, near the town of Garey in Santa Barbara County. 

California, California Water Science Center

January 20, 2017

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

The June 2016 Fish Fire burned over 12 km^2 in Los Angeles County, California. After the fire, the USGS installed an automated rain-triggered camera and laser stage gage to monitor post-wildfire flooding and debris flow in Van Tassel Canyon near Azusa. This video shows the peak flow triggered by an intense rainstorm on January 20, 2017.

Natural Hazards, Landslide Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing

January 20, 2017

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

The June 2016 Fish Fire burned over 12 km^2 in Los Angeles County, California. After the fire, the USGS installed an automated rain-triggered camera and laser stage gage to monitor post-wildfire flooding and debris flow in Van Tassel Canyon near Azusa. This video shows the peak flow triggered by an intense rainstorm on January 20, 2017.

Natural Hazards, Landslide Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing

Post-fire Debris Flow

January 9, 2004

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

Debris Flow in Cable Canyon following the 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, California.

California, California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

January 9, 2004

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

Debris Flow in Cable Canyon following the 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, California.

California, California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Below are publications associated with this project.

November 28, 2017

####                 Flood runoff in relation to water vapor transport by atmospheric rivers over the western United States, 1949–2015              

Water Resources Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center

July 22, 2015

####                 Anticipating environmental and environmental-health implications of extreme storms: ARkStorm scenario              

Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Application for Risk Reduction, California Water Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Big Sur Landslides, Reducing Risk, San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

January 14, 2011

####                 Overview of the ARkStorm scenario              

The U.S. Geological Survey, Multi Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) uses hazards science to improve resiliency of communities to natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, landslides, floods and coastal erosion. The project engages emergency planners, businesses, universities, government agencies, and others in preparing for major natural disasters. The project also helps to

Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Earthquake Hazards Program, Science Application for Risk Reduction, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides, Reducing Risk, San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

Below are news stories associated with this project.

Stormy weather: How the USGS goes to work monitoring its effects

February 22, 2017

####   Stormy weather: How the USGS goes to work monitoring its effects

Atmospheric rivers are a global weather phenomenon that can bring large amounts of rain or snow to the U.S. West Coast each year. These rivers of wet...

Read Article

Winter Weather in California Keeps CAWSC Field Crews Busy

January 27, 2017

####   Winter Weather in California Keeps CAWSC Field Crews Busy

For many Californians a wet and snowy winter means keeping dry inside and avoiding dangerous roads. For field crews at the U.S. Geological Survey...

Read Article

Throughout the nation, the USGS operates a streamgage network in near real-time that helps emergency managers and others protect life and property due to floods and other water-related hazards. The USGS California Water Science Center maintains nearly 500 streamgages that provides key streamflow and water level data for flood forecasters, the public, and emergency managers at the federal, state, county, and local levels. During any given water year, USGS hydrographers verify the continuous data at each streamgage by inspecting water level sensor operation and measuring the range of observed flows, including at high flows.

**USGS WaterAlert** automatically sends email or SMS text messages when certain parameters, as measured by a USGS real-time data-collection station, exceed user-defined thresholds.

Back to Floods topic page

View Media Details

### Atmospheric Rivers (AR’s)

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow corridors moving through the atmosphere where water vapor is transported at high rates. These AR’s move moisture from the tropics in the Pacific over to the western coast of the United States. AR’s are responsible for great quantities of rain and have been identified to have a significant role in generating flooding across the western United States. They can also fuel strong winter storms that contribute to beneficial increases in snowpack.

### Fall and Winter Weather: El Niño

El Niño is a naturally occurring event characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific. El Niño has come to refer to a whole complex of Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperature changes and global weather events. If El Niño conditions are present during the winter, the jet stream pattern over the U.S. shifts and can result in a wetter-than-average winter across the southern tier of the U.S., including portions of California.

On October 11, 2018, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center issued an El Niño watch for the Northern Hemisphere. All four Niño values increased over the last month indicating a developing El Niño. El Niño is favored to form in the next couple of months and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2018-19 (70-75% chance; click CPC/IRI consensus forecast for the chance of each outcome for each 3-month period). Typical El Niño patterns in California include increased rainfall with the potential for accompanying floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. The effects are variable across the state and are more predictable in Southern California. For fall and winter 2018, NOAA’s temperature outlook suggests warmer than normal climate patterns and normal to wetter than normal precipitation patterns in California.

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Mark R Dickman

##### Associate Director for Data

California Water Science Center

mdickman@usgs.gov

916-666-9951

#### Louis A Caldwell

##### Deputy Associate Director for Data

California Water Science Center

lacald@usgs.gov

619-988-5805

### Explore Search

                      - Floods
                      - Streamflow
                      - Surface Water Supply
                      - Advanced Capabilities and Research
                      - Hydrologic Extremes
                      - Measuring and Monitoring
                      - Surface Water
                      - ALERT Streamgages
                      - Monitoring
                      - Runoff
                      - Water
                      - streamgages
                      - in-situ monitoring
                      - debris flow
                      - ALERT streamgages

View All **

The California Water Science Center studies various aspects of floods.  You can find additional flood science below. 

link

December 21, 2018

####                 California Streamgage Information              

California Water Science Center

link

December 21, 2018

####   California Streamgage Information

Learn More

link

November 26, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Yuba River Basin, Northeastern California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting              

California Water Science Center

link

November 26, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Yuba River Basin, Northeastern California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting

Learn More

link

November 5, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Kings River Basin, California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting              

California Water Science Center

link

November 5, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Kings River Basin, California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting

Learn More

link

October 26, 2018

####                 Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Tuolumne River Basin, Central California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting.              

California Water Science Center

link

October 26, 2018

####   Development of Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the Tuolumne River Basin, Central California, with application for streamflow predictability and flood forecasting.

Learn More

link

June 5, 2018

####                 Post-Fire Flooding and Debris Flow              

California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

link

June 5, 2018

####   Post-Fire Flooding and Debris Flow

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

####                 California Flood Activity Alerts              

USGS Project Alert Notices RSS feed includes response summaries of USGS streamgaging network activity during storm events in California. These Notices are produced by USGS Streamgaging Programs nationally and can be found on the USGS Current Floods Website.

California Water Science Center

####                 USGS Flood Event Viewer - Network              

The USGS operates an event-based mobile storm-surge sensor network to capture information about coastal and inland storm tides.

New Jersey Water Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

Santa Maria River Flooding

March 1, 2017

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

A USGS hydrologic technician takes streamflow measurements during flooding of the Sisquoc River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River, near the town of Garey in Santa Barbara County. 

California, California Water Science Center

March 1, 2017

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

#### Santa Maria River Flooding

link

A USGS hydrologic technician takes streamflow measurements during flooding of the Sisquoc River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River, near the town of Garey in Santa Barbara County. 

California, California Water Science Center

January 20, 2017

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

The June 2016 Fish Fire burned over 12 km^2 in Los Angeles County, California. After the fire, the USGS installed an automated rain-triggered camera and laser stage gage to monitor post-wildfire flooding and debris flow in Van Tassel Canyon near Azusa. This video shows the peak flow triggered by an intense rainstorm on January 20, 2017.

Natural Hazards, Landslide Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing

January 20, 2017

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

#### Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA

link

The June 2016 Fish Fire burned over 12 km^2 in Los Angeles County, California. After the fire, the USGS installed an automated rain-triggered camera and laser stage gage to monitor post-wildfire flooding and debris flow in Van Tassel Canyon near Azusa. This video shows the peak flow triggered by an intense rainstorm on January 20, 2017.

Natural Hazards, Landslide Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing

Post-fire Debris Flow

January 9, 2004

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

Debris Flow in Cable Canyon following the 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, California.

California, California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

January 9, 2004

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

#### Post-fire Debris Flow

link

Debris Flow in Cable Canyon following the 2003 Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, California.

California, California Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

Below are publications associated with this project.

November 28, 2017

####                 Flood runoff in relation to water vapor transport by atmospheric rivers over the western United States, 1949–2015              

Water Resources Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center

July 22, 2015

####                 Anticipating environmental and environmental-health implications of extreme storms: ARkStorm scenario              

Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Application for Risk Reduction, California Water Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Big Sur Landslides, Reducing Risk, San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

January 14, 2011

####                 Overview of the ARkStorm scenario              

The U.S. Geological Survey, Multi Hazards Demonstration Project (MHDP) uses hazards science to improve resiliency of communities to natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, landslides, floods and coastal erosion. The project engages emergency planners, businesses, universities, government agencies, and others in preparing for major natural disasters. The project also helps to

Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Earthquake Hazards Program, Science Application for Risk Reduction, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides, Reducing Risk, San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

Below are news stories associated with this project.

Stormy weather: How the USGS goes to work monitoring its effects

February 22, 2017

####   Stormy weather: How the USGS goes to work monitoring its effects

Atmospheric rivers are a global weather phenomenon that can bring large amounts of rain or snow to the U.S. West Coast each year. These rivers of wet...

Read Article

Winter Weather in California Keeps CAWSC Field Crews Busy

January 27, 2017

####   Winter Weather in California Keeps CAWSC Field Crews Busy

For many Californians a wet and snowy winter means keeping dry inside and avoiding dangerous roads. For field crews at the U.S. Geological Survey...

Read Article