PlainHazard

Flash Flood

NOAA Storm Events type · 111,974 records since 1996 · 58 states and territories

The National Weather Service defines flash flood as: "A life-threatening, rapid rise of water into a normally dry area beginning within minutes to multiple hours of the causative event (e.g., intense rainfall, dam failure, ice jam)." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 111,974 flash flood records from 1996 through June 30, 2026, the most in Texas (13,876), with 2,206 deaths recorded.

How the National Weather Service files flash flood

A life-threatening, rapid rise of water into a normally dry area beginning within minutes to multiple hours of the causative event (e.g., intense rainfall, dam failure, ice jam). Ongoing flooding can intensify to the shorter term flash flooding in cases where intense rainfall results in a rapid surge of rising flood waters.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 14

Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).

Flash Flood, 1996 to 2026

Records per year (2026 to June 30, 2026).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $10 million
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • $10 billion or more, or 1,000 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
111,9741996 to June 30, 2026
Deaths
2,2066,609 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$131.4Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Counties with a record
3,128of 3,266

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.

Where do flash flood records happen?

States

  1. Texas 13,876
  2. Missouri 6,244
  3. Pennsylvania 4,743
  4. Kentucky 4,580
  5. Virginia 4,323
  6. New York 4,190
  7. North Carolina 4,053
  8. Arkansas 3,784
  9. Mississippi 3,538
  10. Arizona 3,491
  11. Tennessee 3,355
  12. Oklahoma 3,321
  13. Illinois 3,281
  14. Ohio 3,240
  15. Kansas 2,958

Counties

  1. San Bernardino County, CA 836
  2. Mohave County, AZ 656
  3. Maricopa County, AZ 580
  4. Pima County, AZ 525
  5. Allegheny County, PA 501
  6. Bexar County, TX 420
  7. Clark County, NV 369
  8. Greene County, MO 329
  9. Yavapai County, AZ 320
  10. Baltimore County, MD 314

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

When do flash flood records happen?

The busiest month is July.

The values, month by month

Jan 3,855 · Feb 3,407 · Mar 5,083 · Apr 7,649 · May 14,559 · Jun 18,988 · Jul 20,158 · Aug 16,591 · Sep 11,354 · Oct 5,151 · Nov 2,590 · Dec 2,589 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

The deadliest flash flood records

The flash flood records with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-07-04 Flash FloodHunt, Kerr County, TX There was catastrophic and deadly flash flooding along the South Fork Guadalupe River after around ten inches of rain fell in approximately four hours. On Hwy 39 the debris started at the confluence of Mullen Creek and South Fork Guadalupe River. The South Fork Guadalupe River topped the Hwy 39 bridge west of Auld Rd. ... 61 0 $200M
2025-07-04 Flash FloodHunt, Kerr County, TX There was catastrophic and deadly flash flooding along the Guadalupe River after around ten inches of rain fell in approximately four hours over the headwaters of the river. The flood wave moved downstream from Hunt to Kerrville. An NWS Flood Survey team found water in some houses along the Guadalupe downstream of ... 46 0 –
2017-08-26 Flash FloodJoyce, Harris County, TX There were numerous water rescues within Houston and the surrounding suburbs. Flood waters completely inundated thousands of homes and businesses. Roads and highways in and around Houston were flooded and therefore closed for long time periods. Catastrophic flooding occurred on nearly every one of the 22 watersheds in ... 38 0 $12.0B
2010-06-11 Flash FloodSlatington, Montgomery County, AR Heavy rain fell on saturated ground during the wee hours of June 11th in an area characterized by steep terrain, limited access, and poor communications. Along the Little Missouri River, flash flooding developed rapidly at the Albert Pike Recreation Area in the Ouachita National Forest. The flood took 20 lives, ... 20 24 $12M
2021-08-21 Flash FloodPigeon Roost, Humphreys County, TN An historic, devastating flash flood struck the city of Waverly along the Trace Creek river basin. A fast-moving flood wave traveling westward down Trace Creek caused flood waters to rise several feet in roughly a 10 minute timespan between 1000am to 1010am CDT, flooding hundreds of homes, businesses, and churches, ... 19 0 $109M
2022-07-27 Flash FloodFisty, Knott County, KY Extensive flash flooding occurred in Knott County. Some of the reports included: 11:00 PM EST - Pictures on social media show flash flooding around the Big Branch Baptist Church. 11:56 PM EST - Broadcast media reported street flash flooding leaving KY-899 impassable in front of the Holly Hills Shopping Center. 12:38 ... 16 0 –
2016-06-23 Flash FloodRainelle, Greenbrier County, WV Unprecedented flash flooding occurred across large parts of Greenbrier County but especially in a swath across the central part of the county where an estimated 6 to 10 inches of rain fell in less than 12 hours. The first flood-related report was received at 100 PM EDT (1200 PM EST) as a portion of Highway 20 in ... 16 0 $49M
2024-09-27 Flash FloodRidgecrest, Buncombe County, NC Historic and catastrophic flash flooding developed along the Swannanoa River basin during the early morning hours as rainfall rates began to intensify as tropical rainbands near the center of Helene swept across the area. Numerous structures and roads were inundated in the city of Black Mountain, the Swannanoa ... 15 0 $282M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, deaths direct and indirect as filed.

The most recent flash flood records

To June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-30 Flash FloodWolfforth, Lubbock County, TX 0 0 –
2026-06-29 Flash FloodStudy Butte, Brewster County, TX 0 0 $20K
2026-06-28 Flash FloodEdmonton, Metcalfe County, KY 0 0 –
2026-06-28 Flash FloodWago, Clinton County, KY 0 0 –
2026-06-28 Flash FloodGrider, Cumberland County, KY 0 0 –
2026-06-28 Flash FloodCaneyville, Grayson County, KY 0 0 –
2026-06-28 Flash FloodMacon, Hart County, KY 0 0 –
2026-06-28 Flash FloodLeitchfield, Grayson County, KY 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

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