134
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$8.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Kern County, California: 134 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #96 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Kern County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Kern County is the 2010s, when 49 of the county's 134 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Kern County archive, flash flood makes up 16.1% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #96 for this hazard and #6 within California, putting it in the 96.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Kern County with 47 recorded events, while Apr is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 1997 | CANTIL | 0 | 0 | 4 | $5.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2025 | TEHACHAPI MTN VLY AP | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | CENEDA | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | KEENE | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 19, 2025 | CALICO | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 19, 2025 | WILLOW SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 19, 2025 | CANTIL | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2023 | CANTIL | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2023 | EDISON | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2023 | EDISON | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2023 | LEBEC | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kern County
- Flood 325
- Heavy Rain 111
- Thunderstorm Wind 57
- Debris Flow 51
- Hail 41
- Lightning 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A thunderstorm measured at 69 dBz moved from southwest to northeast up the El Paso Mountains in East Kern County on the evening of Wednesday, Sept 3rd. Reports indicated that 4.50" of rain fell from this storm in a little over an hour's time. The resulting flash flood through Red Rock Canyon State Park brought 28,000 CFS down through the park, across State Highway 14 and the Redrock-Randsburg Road, and on into Koehn Dry Lake. Nearly 100 motorists were stranded by the flooding with 4 cars swept into the water. Reports indicated that a 12-foot wall of water swept over Highway 14 at 7:10 PM PDT and subsequently over Redrock-Randsburg Road at 7:17 PM PDT. The number of injuries was estimated based on initial reports…no fatalities.
NWS Incident Meteorologists reported heavy rain that hit the Piute wildfire area caused flash flooding into the Lake Isabella area. Mud and debris flow swept into the town of Lake Isabella causing evacuations and helicopter rescues in and around the town.
Flash flood Debris flow was reported on Johns Rd between Caliente Creek and Walsher Rd at 332 pm. NWS Incident meteorologist reported flash flooding on Erskine creek near Lake Isabella and Clear Creek at Havilah. at 430 pm. Water was reported covering Walker Basin Rd. Several utility poles on Johns Rd and Walker Basin Rd were undermined by fast flowing water. The intersection of Johns Rd and Walker Basin Rd were reported completely flooded out with water up to 3 feet deep.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Kern County, California?
134 flash flood events are recorded in Kern County between 1997 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Kern County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Kern County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Kern County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Kern County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/kern-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.