List of flash floods


This list of notable flash floods summarizes the most widely reported events.
DateFatalitiesCauseDescription
11.03.1864240dam failureGreat Sheffield Flood, Sheffield, England
31.05.18892200dam failureJohnstown Flood Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
11.09.1891359heavy rainConsuegra, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
14.06.1903247thunderstormHeppner Flood of 1903, Oregon, U.S. Second-deadliest flash flood in the United States; kills almost a quarter of the town's residents.
11.07.19128thunderstormMazuma, Nevada, Postmistress among the dead. Relief efforts include a fund set up by William Randolph Hearst.
15.01.191921dam failureGreat Molasses Flood, Boston, U.S. A wall of molasses from a collapsed distillation storage tank moves through the streets at killing 21, injuring 150
20 3 19291heavy rain1929 New Zealand cyclone, Otago and Canterbury, New Zealand. Flooding in many parts of the South Island, especially around the city of Dunedin, where of rain falls in 24 hours. A railway worker dies in a washout on the line between Dunedin and Ranfurly
19 2 193821thunderstormKopuawhara flash flood of 1938, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand: a temporary camp for rail workers next to a river is hit by a high wall of water already swollen by heavy rain associated with Typhoon Haikui.
15 8 195234heavy rainLynmouth Flood, England
31 1 19532394heavy stormNorth Sea flood of 1953, The Netherlands, Belgium, England, Scotland, a combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm over the North Sea causes a storm tide. As a result, the Dutch Delta Works are authorized, an elaborate project to enable emergency closing of the mouths of most estuaries, to prevent flood surges upriver.
17 6 19650heavy rain1965 Philmont Scout Ranch flash flood, Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico
25.11.1967464heavy rain rain in 5 hours at up to per hour near Lisbon, Portugal
4 1 197132monsoonKuala Lumpur floods, Malaysia
9 6 1972238dam failureBlack Hills flood, South Dakota, U.S., in 6 hours
31 7 1976143thunderstormBig Thompson River flood, Colorado, U.S.
11 8 19791800–25,000dam failureMachchu-2 dam failed due to heavy upstream rain, washes out the town of Morbi and nearby villages of Gujarat, India. Estimated deaths range from 1800 to 25,000 people. Considered worst flash flood of history.
24.07.1982299heavy rainmaximum rainfall per an hour in Nagayo, Nagasaki, floods, landslides, and bridge, house, buildings collapses occur simultaneously in the suburbs of Nagasaki, Kyushu Island, Japan
19.11.198310heavy rainmaximum rate of in 30 minutes near Lisbon, Portugal, with similar intensity of 1967 event; much lower fatalities due to lessons learned
16 7 198710heavy rainThe Guadalupe River floods in Texas Hill Country after a series of severe thunderstorms dumps of rainfall in its headwaters basin. Hundreds of people had to be rescued; 10 teenagers at a summer camp lost their lives.
14 6 199026heavy rainShadyside, Ohio, U.S.
16 6 19904thunderstormDuck Creek Floods of 1990 near Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
12 8 199711thunderstormAntelope Canyon, Arizona, U.S.
20 7 199863heavy rainJarovnice, Slovakia. Combination of heavy rain and collapse of dam formed by debris causes flood wave that inundates the unprotected Romani settlement.
18.10.199831heavy rainSan Marcos, Texas, U.S., rains totaling from
11.09.200010heavy rain
According to Japan Meteorological Agency official confirmed report, a to principation per a single hour, total to principation per twelve hours, following flash floods in Nagoya and surrounding area, another 150 persons are wounded, Japanese government official confirmed report.
30.08.20036heavy rainJacobs Creek Flood, Kansas Turnpike near Emporia, Kansas, U.S.
16 8 20040heavy rainBoscastle flood, Cornwall, England
6 8 2006350heavy raineastern Ethiopia, tens of thousands are displaced
13 8 2006125heavy rainsouthern Ethiopia, hundreds of thousands are displaced
3 7 200764Sudan floods
2 11 20070heavy rainMount Rainier National Park, Washington, U.S.
12 6 20080thunderstormThe 12–13 June 2008 floods around Duck Creek in Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
4 8 20090thunderstormThe 2009 Kentuckiana Flash Flood results from of rain falling in less than an hour near Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
9 9 200931heavy rainTurkish flash floods.
19 9 200910heavy rain2009 Southeastern United States floods included flash flooding around Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
26 9 2009100tropical stormMetro Manila, primarily Marikina, Taguig, and Pasig; and several municipalities in the provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, and Laguna, taking more than a hundred lives and leaving thousands of affected residents homeless. It also submerges several municipalities under feet deep of water for several weeks. It is caused by Typhoon Ketsana.
01.10.200937heavy rainGiampilieri, Messina, Sicily. See Also 2009 Messina floods and mudslides
10.10.200910–13 October in Northern Luzon causing major landslides in the Cordillera Mountains, and submerging 80% of the province of Pangasinan.
0heavy rainIn late October, a rainy nor'easter causes several flash floods in Southeast Virginia and injures over 100 people.
25.11.2009122heavy rainMore than 122 people die in flash floods that sweep away highways and neighborhoods in the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, caused by heavy rains.
20 2 201042heavy rain2010 Madeira floods and mudslides: of rain fell in 5 hours, much more than the monthly February average of. 51 people die, 250 are injured, and at least eight people are missing.
April–May: The great Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., flood. Water in the Cumberland river rose, flooding downtown Nashville and surrounding areas.
11 6 201020heavy rainThe Little Missouri River risse over in only a few hours, 2010 Arkansas floods
24 7 20100dam failureDelhi Dam on Iowa's Maquoketa River breaches after of rainfall. 8,000 people evacuate and chunks of highway break off and are swept down river. Contributed to flooding the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa.
1400monsoonMid–July till mid-August, Pakistan's three provinces are badly affected during the monsoon rains when dams, rivers and lakes overflow, killing at least 1400 people and affecting 3.5 million people.
6 8 2010180cloud burstLeh, India. More than 180 people are reported to have died with 400 missing and 300 injured due to flash floods, caused probably due to cloud burst. Injured and stranded public are airlifted by Indian army.
4 10 20107chemical plant accidentflood caused by the Ajka alumina plant accident in western Hungary A dam wall collapses, freeing about one million cubic metres of highly alkaline liquid waste, called red mud, from the Ajkai Timföldgyár alumina plant in Ajka, Veszprém County. The mud is released as a wave, flooding several nearby localities, including the village of Kolontár and the town of Devecser. The flood kills seven persons and the high pH of the sludge burned several hundred people and devastated more than of ground in the basin of the Danube river.
18.10.20100heavy rainSt. Lucia, West Indies: The flood displaces about 500 people and receives immediate assistance from local government and international organizations. No fatalities nor injuries are reported.
27.07.2011 – 28.07.20111heavy rainDubuque County, Iowa – Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States.
11 1 201135heavy rain2010–2011 Queensland floods, Australia
7 7 2012172heavy rain2012 Russian floods Krasnodarsky krai, Russia
7 8 201289monsoon2012 Philippine floods Monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Haikui brings torrential rain and floods to Metro Manila and nearby provinces
1 4 2013101rain storm2013 Argentina floods For five hours, extremely heavy rainfall on northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina results in several flash floods that claim the lives of at least 101 people. Greater La Plata is hardest hit with 91 reported deaths, and Greater Buenos Aires reports ten deaths. Is the worst flooding in La Plata's history.
17.11.201318heavy rainCyclone Cleopatra, Northeast Sardinia. See Also 2013 Sardinia floods
29.04.2014 – 30.04.20142+heavy rainAlabama, Florida
7 6 201473rain storm2014 Baghlan floods High rainfall contributes to the flash flood that destroyed hundreds of mud homes.
7 9 2014300monsoon floodsFloods caused by five days of heavy rain kill 300 people.
27.06.20151heavy rain2015 Philmont Scout Ranch flash flood, Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico
07.07.20150heavy rain2015 Ghost Ranch flash flood, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
14.09.201521rain storms2015 Utah floods Sudden downpours cause flash flooding of canyons in Hildale, Utah, and Zion National Park, killing 21 people- 13 people in Hildale and a group of 7 canyoners in Zion National Park.
25.10.201517+rain stormsAlexandria and Nile Delta region of Northern Egypt. Strong rains on 25 October and 4 November cause flash flooding and result in the deaths of at least 17 people, including five electrocuted when a tram power line collapsed into a puddle.
05.11.20153rain stormsFlash flooding occurs in the Jordanian capital Amman causing 3 deaths when a severe thunderstorm lasts over 30 minutes.
30.07.20162heavy rain2016 Maryland flood – A historic and deadly flash flood strikes Ellicott City, Maryland due an estimated of rain falling in the city within only two hours. It is said to have been a "1000-year flood" event by the NWS.
15.07.201710heavy rain, wildfire burn scar2017 Payson flash floods A flash flood occurred at a popular swimming hole near Payson, Arizona, the flood kills 10 members of an extended family.
15.11.201724heavy rain2017 West Attica floods Flash floods occur in the towns of Mandra, Nea Peramos and Megara, towards west of Athens, due to heavy rain. 24 people die due to this disaster along with significant damage to property.
26.04.201810heavy rainHeavy rainfall in the Negev desert causes a flash flood in the Tzafit canyon trapping a group of hikers and resulting in 10 fatalities.
27.05.20181heavy rain2018 Maryland flood Just two years after a historic and deadly flash flood struck the region, another heavy rain brings around in two hours to Elliccott City, Maryland, resulting in a disaster that is assessed to be much worse than the previous one. This is the second "1000-year flood" event in two years.
04.07.20180heavy rainHeavy rainfall causes flash flooding in Houston, Texas, and the surrounding area, causing the cancellation of 4 July festivities.
05.07.20180heavy rainHeavy rainfall causes flash flooding in Canton, Ohio, and other parts of Stark County.
21.08.201811heavy rainA flash flood in a gorge in the southern Italian region of Calabria kills 11 hikers.
25.10.201910heavy rainHeavy rainfall, total per an hour, and on twelve hours precipitation, and resulting to flash flooding, landslide around Boso Peninsula, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
20.07.2021302 heavy rainAccording to China Meteorological Administration official confirmed report, a heavy rain in the past three days by 20 July, including, per a single hour in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. According to Chinese government official confirmed report, flood sweeps away many persons and vehicles are stuck in downtown area, and part section of Zhengzhou Subway Line 5 also damaged, and flash flooding hits neighborhooud Kaifeng, Luohe, Xinxiang, total government and economic damaged on 90.98 billion renminbi.
12.08.202121 heavy rainAccording to China Meteorological Administration official confirmed report, a heavy rain to past 18 hours by 12 August in Suizhou, Yicheng, Liulin, Hubei Province, China. including, per a single hour in Liulin. According to Chinese government official confirmed report, flood sweeps away many persons and vehicles are stuck in a wide area.
18.08.20210heavy rainIn Gävle, Sweden, 161.6 mm of rain was measured by an automatic weather station during a period of 24 hours within the area, 101 mm of which falls in just 2 hours resulting in considerable flooding within multiple counties, including Gävleborg County & Dalarnas county. Entire neighborhoods were flooded, landslides occurred & vehicles were submerged into the waters
26.07.20221 heavy rain is reported in a span of 5 hours in 2022 [Missouri floods|July 26, 2022] in St. Louis, Missouri.
27.07.2022 – 28.07.202239heavy rainExtremely heavy rain falls over portions of Eastern Kentucky and surrounding areas between July 27 and July 28, 2022. Some areas report up to of rain in less than 12 hours.
21.08.2022 – 22.08.20221 heavy rain2022 Dallas floods
27.01.20234heavy rain2023 Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods. NIWA reports a record breaking 260.6 millimeters falls across the city of Auckland, New Zealand in a span of 8 hours, landslides destroy homes, over $10 million worth of high-end luxury vehicles are severely damaged.
12.04.2023 – 13.04.20230heavy rain2023 Fort Lauderdale floods. On April 12, 2023, a historic flash flood event occurs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and surrounding areas. The Fort Lauderdale area reports 25.6 inches of rain within approximately 12 hours.
21.07.2023 – 22.07.20233 heavy rain2023 Nova Scotia floods
29.10.2024238+heavy rain2024 Spain floods
08.05.2025 – 09.05.2025104heavy rainHeavy rain causes the Kasaba River, in South Kivu, Congo to burst its banks, destroying at least 150 homes.
4 7 2025> 132heavy rainJuly 2025 Central Texas floods