On this day in…
2004: Severe thunderstorms in Borrego Springs produced one inch hail that broke windows. Strong winds gusted to 60 mph before the anemometer was destroyed, and knocked down six power poles. Training thunderstorms over Johnson Valley produced severe flash flooding. Hwy. 247 was washed out in numerous sections. Minor damage to homes occurred and 12 vehicles were trapped. In La Quinta, 138 trees were knocked down at one golf course with damage to a building. More trees fell down at other golf courses. Roof tiles were blown off. Damage occurred to power poles and transformers.
1990: It was 117° in Borrego Springs, the highest temperature on record for September. This also occurred the previous day on 9.10.
1976: Record rains that started on 9.9 ended on 9.12 came from Tropical Storm Kathleen (called a 160+ year event by meteorologists). 14.76 inches fell on south slopes of Mt. San Gorgonio, 10.13 inches at Mt. Laguna, eight inches at Mt. San Jacinto, four+ inches in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, and 1.8 to 2.8 inches in the Coachella Valley. Deep Canyon (above La Quinta) recorded 2.96 inches in three hours on 9.10. Rainfall in the Santa Rosa Mountains above the Coachella Valley was called the “heaviest in recorded history.” Six were buried and killed in sand in Ocotillo. Floods of record were attained at numerous streams around the Coachella Valley. 1.84 inches of rain fell in Riverside on this day, 2.09 inches fell in Borrego Springs, 2.33 inches fell in Victorville, 2.57 inches fell in Idyllwild, and five inches fell in Palomar Mountain, each the greatest daily amounts on record for September. The Victorville amount is also the third highest daily amount on record. This occurred during the El Niño of 1976-77. Hurricane Kathleen also brought the southwest the highest sustained winds ever associated with an eastern Pacific tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 57 mph at Yuma on 9.10.