District of Columbia floods
Every recorded flood since 1996 · 1 county with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 267 floods and flash floods in District of Columbia from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 11 a year since 2000. The costliest was the January 20, 1996 flood ($18.8 million in 2025 dollars). District of Columbia ranks 52nd of 52 states and territories by count.
Floods in District of Columbia, 1996 to 2026
Flood records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 2671996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 11average
- Deaths
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $45Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 201857 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are floods and flash floods common in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia averages about 11 floods and flash floods a year since 2000, 52nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2018 (57).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
When is flood season in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's floods and flash floods by month. The busiest month is September (60 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 7 · Feb 6 · Mar 9 · Apr 13 · May 21 · Jun 24 · Jul 56 · Aug 44 · Sep 60 · Oct 13 · Nov 7 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
The costliest floods and flash floods in District of Columbia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-20 | FloodDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2006-06-25 | Flash FloodCountywide, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2001-08-11 | Flash FloodCountywide, District of Columbia | 0 | 2 | $10M | |
| 2019-07-08 | Flash FloodDalecarlia Reservoir, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $577K | |
| 1996-09-07 | FloodDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $282K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are floods and flash floods becoming more frequent in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | District of Columbia | United States | District of Columbia's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 14 | 20,986 | 0.07% |
| 2000s | 33 | 54,913 | 0.06% |
| 2010s | 144 | 68,322 | 0.21% |
| 2020-26 | 76 | 43,563 | 0.17% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent floods and flash floods in District of Columbia
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodWalter Reed, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodWalter Reed, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodWalter Reed, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodTenleytown, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodAnacostia, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-19 | Flash FloodGeorgetown, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-13 | Flash FloodBrookland, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-13 | Flash FloodNational Arboretum, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | Flash FloodGeorgetown, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | Flash FloodGeorgetown, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-15 | Coastal FloodDistrict of Columbia · forecast zone District Of Columbia | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-07-08 | Flash FloodDalecarlia Reservoir, District of Columbia | 0 | 0 | $577K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for floods and flash floods in District of Columbia
FEMA has declared 1 disaster in District of Columbia for floods and flash floods, counting its incident type and declarations that name flood in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); one was a major disaster, the latest on August 16, 2001.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-16 | DR-1389 | Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Floods across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in District of ColumbiaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in District of Columbia344 records
- Winter storms in District of Columbia129 records
- Heat in District of Columbia70 records