Flash Flood in District of Columbia
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in District of Columbia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
The most significant on the map
The most significant flash flood episodes in District of Columbia.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 118
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 2
- Damage
- $17 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flash Flood in District of Columbia, August 11, 2001Showers and thunderstorms with very heavy downpours formed over the District for the 2nd straight day around 3 PM EDT and remained near stationary over all but far Southeast D.C. through 6 PM.
- Flash Flood in District of Columbia, June 25 to 27, 2006A weak cold front settled over the forecast area from June 23 until June 27. Waves of low pressure rode northeast along the front. Flow in the atmosphere was parallel to the boundary, producing several rounds of training echoes.
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in District of Columbia, June 12, 2003A thunderstorm with very heavy downpours and high winds moved through the District between 5:30 and 6:30 PM on the 12th.
- Flash Flood and Flood in District of Columbia, July 8, 2019A nearly stationary boundary set up near the Potomac River weak low pressure developed along the boundary.
- Tropical Storm and Flash Flood in District of Columbia, September 16, 1999Hurricane Floyd made landfall just east of Cape Fear, North Carolina in the early morning hours of the 16th and moved north-northeast across extreme southeast Virginia to near Ocean City, Maryland by evening on the 16th.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, September 10, 2020A surface trough between an approaching cold front from the west and a tropical disturbance offshore resulted in a band of heavy showers and thunderstorms along the I-95 corridor on the afternoon/evening of 9/10, resulting in multiple instances flooding and flash flooding.
- Flash Flood in District of Columbia, September 6, 1996Feeder bands of torrential tropical rains associated with the remnants of Hurricane Fran produced localized flash flooding and widespread power outages in the metropolitan area. The heaviest rains fell from the city west, with totals ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 inches.
- Flash Flood in District of Columbia, June 20, 1996A rapidly developing thunderstorm knocked down numerous trees and large limbs in upper Northwest. Some of the trees fell onto automobiles. The associated torrential rains flooded Rock Creek and other low-lying areas in Northwest.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in District of Columbia, July 9, 2022A weak cold front slowly moved through the area later on the 8th into the 9th. A wave of low pressure tracked along the front, passing through the area during that time. Plenty of moisture ahead of the boundary along with moderate instability led to areas of heavy rainfall.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, July 19, 2025An unstable atmosphere along with plenty of moisture led to the development of showers and thunderstorms. The thunderstorms were slow moving, and trained over the same areas in spots resulting in flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, August 12, 2010A northwest to southeast oriented cold front drifted into the area as an upper level disturbance moved southeast across the region. Thunderstorms initiated along the boundary during the morning, producing torrential downpours across northern and western parts of Washington.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in District of Columbia, September 6, 2008Tropical Storm Hanna tracked up the Mid-Atlantic coast on the 6th with maximum sustained winds around 50 mph. Hanna originally made landfall near the border of North and South Carolina around 3:20 AM on the 6th.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, September 7, 2011Abnormally moist atmosphere across the Mid-Atlantic allowed showers and thunderstorms to produce exceptional rainfall rates across portions of the District of Columbia as the remnants of Tropical Depression Lee interacted with a nearly stationary boundary near the Mason-Dixon…
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, September 2, 2012A stationary boundary was stalled across the region. A very moist airmass was in place with high PWAT values. Showers and thunderstorms that did develop caused flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in District of Columbia, July 19 to 20, 2016A boundary stalled over the area. Warm and humid conditions led to an unstable atmosphere while an upper-level trough passed through the area. The forcing from the boundary front combined with the instability to trigger thunderstorms.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in District of Columbia, July 28 to 29, 2017A strong upper level low interacted with a frontal boundary near the Mid-Atlantic region and low pressure formed along the boundary. High moisture content and thunderstorms led to widespread flooding across the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in District of Columbia, April 16, 2018Low pressure and its associated cold front passed through during the early morning hours of April 16th. Heavy rain of 1.5 to 2 inches fell in the District, causing flash flooding followed by flooding of Rock Creek which continued into early afternoon.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, July 25, 2018Locally heavy rain fell in Washington DC on the afternoon of July 25th. This caused flash flooding at rush hour in the metro area.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in District of Columbia, August 5, 2022Numerous showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening of the 5th. Slow storm movement led to some instances of flooding and flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in District of Columbia, July 2 to 3, 2022A cold front dropped down from the north, causing showers and thunderstorms to develop. The storm motion was nearly parallel to the boundary, causing some storms to train over the same area. This led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
- Flash Flood and Hail in District of Columbia, August 11, 2004Penny sized hail reported at the Lincoln Memorial.
- Flash Flood and Flood in District of Columbia, April 2 to 3, 2005A strong cold front pushed through the Mid Atlantic on Saturday, April 2nd. This front brought thunderstorms that downed trees and power lines as well as heavy downpours that flooded rivers, streams, and roadways.
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in District of Columbia, July 23, 2008A slow moving cold front moved towards the Mid Atlantic Coast on July 23rd. This front provided the focus for scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon and evening hours.
- Flash Flooding in District of Columbia, August 18, 2017Heavy rain developed late in the afternoon of August 18th, primarily in the Broad Branch and Rock Creek stream basins northwest of Washington, DC. This heavy rain caused isolated flash flooding in Northwest DC during the evening hours.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in District of Columbia, September 7 to 8, 2018A boundary remain stalled over the region and tropical moisture was in place. This caused locally heavy rainfall. The steering flow aloft was weak so showers and storms moved slowly, which led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
More
Flash Flood everywhereEvery kind of event in District of Columbia
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.