Storm hazard · NOAA Storm Events Database
Debris Flow in the United States
National statistics for debris flow events from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025): how often they occur, where they hit hardest, and the human and property toll.
- 1,942
- Events recorded
- 68
- Fatalities
- $1.0B
- Property damage
- 31
- States affected
How dangerous are Debris Flow events in the U.S.?
NOAA's Storm Events Database has catalogued 1,942 debris flow events across 31 states and territories between 2015 and 2025. The cumulative human toll is 68 fatalities and 187 injuries, and the financial footprint reaches $1.0B in combined property ($1.0B) and crop ($34.3K) damage. On a per-fatality basis this places debris flow events at a high severity tier relative to other tracked hazard types in the NOAA catalog.
Geographic exposure skews toward a small cluster of frequently-hit states. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are CA (699 events, 30 fatalities), PR (395 events, 0 fatalities), CO (282 events, 0 fatalities), a mix of underlying hazard climatology and how many people live in the exposed corridor. At the other end, states such as MS, ME, WI report far fewer events, a meaningfully lower-frequency pattern there, though local vigilance still matters.
Annual totals swing noticeably from year to year. The peak year on record was 2022, logging 358 events and $19.5M in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2025 with 326 events recorded. Across the full 11-year window, annual event counts reflect seasonal climate cycles and, for some years, longer climate-driven shifts in frequency.
How to interpret this data
NOAA storm event data is filed by local National Weather Service forecast offices, so reporting intensity can vary by jurisdiction and should be interpreted alongside FEMA disaster declarations for a fuller picture.
For household and business preparedness, this state-and-year view should be paired with local-level FEMA National Risk Index ratings, flood-zone maps where applicable, and up-to-date NWS watch/warning information, population exposure and asset value matter as much as raw event frequency for estimating real-world risk.
Debris Flow by State
| # | State | Events | Fatalities | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California CA | 699 | 30 | $663.0M |
| 2 | Puerto Rico PR | 395 | 0 | $7.2M |
| 3 | Colorado CO | 282 | 0 | $158.4M |
| 4 | Washington WA | 85 | 0 | $2.6M |
| 5 | Utah UT | 75 | 0 | $401.4K |
| 6 | Kentucky KY | 54 | 0 | $88.5K |
| 7 | Idaho ID | 52 | 0 | $6.5M |
| 8 | Nevada NV | 48 | 0 | $168.1K |
| 9 | New Mexico NM | 32 | 6 | $111.0M |
| 10 | Arizona AZ | 28 | 0 | $203.0K |
| 11 | Oregon OR | 27 | 1 | $253.0K |
| 12 | Virginia VA | 27 | 0 | $750.5K |
| 13 | West Virginia WV | 24 | 1 | $1.1M |
| 14 | Alaska AK | 22 | 12 | $35.3M |
| 15 | North Carolina NC | 20 | 17 | $2.6M |
| 16 | Hawaii HI | 19 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 17 | Montana MT | 14 | 0 | $158.0K |
| 18 | Tennessee TN | 9 | 1 | $26.4M |
| 19 | New York NY | 7 | 0 | $10.0K |
| 20 | Pennsylvania PA | 4 | 0 | $15.0K |
| 21 | Georgia GA | 4 | 0 | $210.0K |
| 22 | Wyoming WY | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| 23 | Ohio OH | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 24 | U.S. Virgin Islands VI | 2 | 0 | $2.2K |
| 25 | Guam GU | 2 | 0 | $30.0K |
| 26 | Texas TX | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| 27 | Vermont VT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| 28 | Massachusetts MA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| 29 | Mississippi MS | 1 | 0 | $25.0K |
| 30 | Maine ME | 1 | 0 | $350.0K |
| 31 | Wisconsin WI | 1 | 0 | $1.0K |
Debris Flow by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 326 | 6 | 4 | $101.2M |
| 2024 | 171 | 16 | 3 | $16.2M |
| 2023 | 165 | 6 | 4 | $5.7M |
| 2022 | 358 | 6 | 0 | $19.5M |
| 2021 | 212 | 2 | 2 | $164.4M |
| 2020 | 92 | 2 | 2 | $34.0M |
| 2019 | 185 | 2 | 1 | $25.0M |
| 2018 | 136 | 24 | 168 | $619.8M |
| 2017 | 191 | 0 | 0 | $30.6M |
| 2016 | 52 | 0 | 3 | $618.0K |
| 2015 | 54 | 4 | 0 | $3.5M |
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many debris flow events have occurred in the US?
Which states are most affected by debris flow events?
How much damage do debris flow events cause?
What year had the most debris flow events?
How dangerous are debris flow events?
Which states have the fewest debris flow events?
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.