Nevada floods
Every recorded flood since 1996 · 17 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 918 floods and flash floods in Nevada from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 32 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 1, 1997 flood in Douglas County and 4 more: 2 deaths, 50 injuries and $1.2 billion in damage in 2025 dollars across 2 records. Nevada ranks 42nd of 52 states and territories by count and 48th of 51 per square mile.
Floods in Nevada, 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
- 9181996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 32average
- Deaths
- 1566 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed
- Busiest year
- 2014111 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 Nevada?
Nevada averages about 32 floods and flash floods a year since 2000, 42nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2014 (111). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Nevada records 84 floods and flash floods since 1996, 48th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
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.
Which counties in Nevada have the most floods and flash floods?
Per square mile, Storey County leads Nevada: 16 days with a flood since 1996, 60.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Clark County has the most flood records (402 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is flood season in Nevada?
54% of its floods and flash floods since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (252 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 33 · Feb 18 · Mar 34 · Apr 15 · May 30 · Jun 51 · Jul 252 · Aug 247 · Sep 157 · Oct 52 · Nov 3 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest floods and flash floods in Nevada?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-01 | FloodDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. The floods of January l997 were caused by several factors. First, the Sierra and western Nevada had experienced two above normal precipitation years (1995, 1996). Second, a major winter storm December 21st and 22nd 1996 deposited heavy snow in the Sierra and western Nevada. Four to six feet of snow was common below ... | 2 | 50 | $1.2B | |
| 2016-06-30 | Flash FloodRed Rock Canyon, Clark County Several intersections were inundated with fast flowing water and debris, and eight swift water rescues occurred. Two people were killed (one direct and one indirect), and one person was injured. | 2 | 1 | $25K | |
| 2023-09-01 | Flash FloodLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County One storm episode: 2 records, 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-02; the totals are the episode's. A push of monsoon moisture, which began in August, fueled thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert. Several produced flash flooding, and one produced hail. | 2 | 0 | $581K | |
| 1997-08-10 | Flash FloodHenderson, Clark County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. In addition to strong winds and large hail, redeveloping severe thunderstorms produced heavy downpours which resulted in severe flash flooding in the southeast Las Vegas Valley. In Henderson, raging flood waters turned roads into rivers up to three and four feet deep. Water and mud slides closed many roads, including ... | 1 | 5 | $16M | |
| 2002-11-30 | Flash FloodLas Vegas, Clark County A fast moving rain storm produced just over half an inch of rain over north Las Vegas. The runoff in the cities drainage system caused flash flooding which trapped four homeless men. One man drowned and another was injured. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-09-11 | Flash FloodLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County Major flash flooding affected much of the Las Vegas Valley. Numerous roads were closed due to water, mud, and rocks; and several people had to be rescued from vehicles. Many vehicles in parking lots were submerged in muddy water. Many homes, condos, and businesses flooded, and three dogs drowned in one home. Water got ... | 1 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2012-08-22 | Flash FloodLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. Another surge of monsoon moisture led to an outbreak of thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin. A low pressure system further enhanced the storms on the 22nd. | 1 | 0 | $6.7M | |
| 1999-07-08 | Flash FloodLas Vegas, Clark County One of the worst flash flood events this century inundated the Las Vegas Valley damaging roads and buildings, sweeping away vehicles and bringing the entire city almost to a standstill from late morning through late afternoon. Thunderstorms formed over the elevated west side of the valley and began dumping heavy rain ... | 1 | 0 | $44M | |
| 1998-07-20 | Flash FloodLas Vegas, Clark County Severe thunderstorms moved into the Las Vegas Valley and nearby Lake Mead bringing wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and heavy showers which dumped between 1.50 and 2.25 inches of rain overnight. Several marinas on Lake Mead suffered extensive wind damage and numerous roads were washed out. In the Las Vegas Valley, heavy ... | 1 | 0 | $91K | |
| 2025-05-06 | Flash FloodHenderson, Clark County One storm episode: 3 records; the totals are the episode's. A strong low pressure system persisted around the region for several days, helping to fuel thunderstorms. Several storms produced severe weather and flash flooding. | 1 | 0 | $16K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest floods and flash floods in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-01 | FloodDouglas County and 4 more · forecast zone Greater Reno/Carson City/Minden Area One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 2 | 50 | $1.2B | |
| 1999-07-08 | Flash FloodLas Vegas, Clark County | 1 | 0 | $44M | |
| 2005-01-11 | FloodLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln T Sc | 0 | 0 | $30M | |
| 2012-09-11 | Flash FloodLas Vegas N Air Term, Clark County | 1 | 0 | $26M | |
| 2023-08-20 | Flash FloodCharleston Park, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 2005-12-31 | FloodVerdi, Washoe County One storm episode: 5 records in 5 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 1997-08-10 | Flash FloodHenderson, Clark County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. | 1 | 5 | $16M | |
| 2017-01-08 | FloodSutcliffe, Washoe County One storm episode: 5 records in 4 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 0 | $13M |
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 Nevada?
Nevada'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 | Nevada | United States | Nevada's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 94 | 20,986 | 0.45% |
| 2000s | 147 | 54,913 | 0.27% |
| 2010s | 475 | 68,322 | 0.70% |
| 2020-26 | 202 | 43,563 | 0.46% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent floods and flash floods in Nevada
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Flash FloodHarolds Trapshoot Sp, Washoe County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-19 | Flash FloodVista, Washoe County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-19 | Flash FloodVista, Washoe County | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | |
| 2026-06-19 | Flash FloodSilver Spgs Airport, Lyon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-10 | Flash FloodArden, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2025-10-09 | Flash FloodManse, Nye County | 0 | 0 | $2K | |
| 2025-09-25 | Flash FloodDresslerville, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-25 | Flash FloodDresslerville, Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-06 | Flash FloodManse, Nye County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2025-09-05 | Flash FloodPahrump, Nye County | 0 | 1 | $50K | |
| 2025-09-05 | Flash FloodValley Of Fire, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2025-09-05 | Flash FloodMead Lake, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 Nevada
FEMA has declared 19 disasters in Nevada 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); 19 were major disasters, the latest on April 27, 2023.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-27 | DR-4708 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 6 |
| 2017-03-27 | DR-4307 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 7 |
| 2017-02-17 | DR-4303 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | 8 |
| 2014-11-05 | DR-4202 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2008-01-08 | DR-1738 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | 1 |
| 2006-02-03 | DR-1629 | Severe Storms and Flooding | 8 |
| 2005-03-07 | DR-1583 | Heavy Rains and Flooding | 2 |
| 1999-07-20 | DR-1281 | Nv - Flash Flooding 7/8/99 | 1 |
| 1997-01-03 | DR-1153 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Landslides | 7 |
| 1986-02-28 | DR-759 | Severe Storms & Flooding | 6 |
| 1984-09-06 | DR-723 | Heavy Rains & Flooding | 1 |
| 1981-08-28 | DR-645 | Severe Storms & Flooding | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Storey County: the county's whole recordThe Nevada county with the most floods and flash floods per square mile
- Floods across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in NevadaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- High wind and dust storms in Nevada3,232 records
- Winter storms in Nevada2,084 records
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Nevada1,061 records