National Climatic Data Center Research Customer Service Group: The Winter of 96-97 West Coast Flooding

摘要

The month of December 1996 and the first week of January 1997 brought tremendous amounts of rain and snow to parts of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, and Montana. In particular, the period of December 26 through January 3 was especially severe with over 20 inches of rain in some locations. This, along with unusually warm temperatures which produced tremendous snowmelt, resulted in record flooding in some areas. Emergency management officials in these states indicate that as many as a half a million people were forced to evacuate at one time or another during December through early January.