Thunderstorms briefly flood part of Highway 99, damage two southeast Modesto homes
Tuesday’s thunderstorm brought flooding to part of Highway 99 and a damaging lightning strike in southeast Modesto.
The California Highway Patrol reported the flooding at about 5 p.m. between the Kiernan and Pelandale avenue interchanges. Traffic slowed for a few hours, a Facebook post said.
CHP Modesto spokesman Officer Aaron Fay said there was a noticeable spike in weather-related crashes and spinouts, but “nothing major.”
The Modesto Fire Department reported that lightning struck a large redwood tree outside a Riverside Drive home at about 6 p.m. “The ensuing electrical surge caused significant damage to the main electrical box of the home,” MFD’s daily incident summary said. “It also damaged a vehicle and shattered the windows of the home next door.” The summary did not indicate the nature of the damage to the vehicle, and additional information from the Fire Department was not available as of early afternoon Wednesday.
The Modesto Irrigation District collected 0.74 inches of rain at its downtown offices Tuesday. The total stands at 11.16 inches since the July 1 start of the rainfall year. An average year is 12.16 inches, mostly from November through March.
As of early afternoon Wednesday, MID had recorded no measurable rainfall. Dry conditions are expected through Tuesday, with daily high temperatures between 69 and 74 degrees.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 12:52 PM.
