Napa River flood of 1986 explained
| Damages: | 7000 people evacuated, 250 homes destroyed |
| Fatalities: | 3 |
| Affected: | Napa County |
The Napa River flood of 1986 is considered by many to be the worst flood experienced by Napa, California, United States, during the 20th century. Twenty inches of rain fell in a 48-hour period; 7,000 people were evacuated, 250 homes were destroyed and another 2,500 damaged. Three people died, and estimated damages reached $100 million.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Following the flood, residents expressed a renewed urgency to mitigate flooding caused by winter storms, creating obstacles that slowed the flow of the river on its course to the San Francisco Bay. Since the flood, the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District has worked to control the floods by way of the Napa River Flood Project.[6] Another flood of lesser proportions occurred on December 31, 2005, after over a week of rain.[7] Smaller floods occurred in 1995 and 1997.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Napa River Flood Protection Project: A Living River Concept . FEMA . February 11, 2021 . February 2, 2022.
- Carson . L. Pierce . When the rain and the river wouldn’t stop . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . February 27, 1986 . February 20, 2011.
- Carson . L. Pierce . Ernst, Doug . Courtney, Kevin . Rapid rise of Napa River water took local officials by surprise . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . February 18, 1986 . February 20, 2011.
- Goetting . Jay . Recalling '86 while cleaning up after '05 . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . January 6, 2006 . October 17, 2010.
- Carson . L. Pierce . Napa hit by heavy flooding . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . February 17, 1986 . February 20, 2011.
- Courtney . Kevin . Flood of the century: 1986 death, destruction led to reform along Napa River . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . February 20, 2011 . February 20, 2011.
- Courtney . Kevin . Severe flooding hits Napa Valley . . Lee Enterprises, Inc. . Napa, California, United States . December 31, 2005 . October 17, 2010.
