Home / Storms / California
Flash Flood — Sacramento, California
January 1, 2023 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
The Cosumnes River rose rapidly due to very heavy rains and already elevated levels from previous storms. Sacramento County OES confirmed the levee along the Cosumnes River breached in three locations overnight, causing flash flooding in the surrounding areas from Rancho Murieta to Wilton. SR 99 between Dillard Rd and Grantline Rd was flooded with numerous vehicles stuck in flood waters, requiring water rescues and was closed around midnight due to flooding. Flooding continued well into January. Sacramento County issued an evacuation warning overnight for the Wilton area, changed to a shelter-in-place warning a couple of hours later due to unsafe travel conditions with surrounding flooded areas. There were an estimated 3,200 to 3,500 people in the impacted area. There were three drownings
Other notable flash flood events in California
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.