Flood in District of Columbia
Every flood event the National Weather Service has filed in District of Columbia, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
The most significant on the map
The most significant 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
- 82
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- $10 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Flood in District of Columbia, January 20 to 23, 1996*** Potomac River Flooding ***High dew point temperatures melted the entire snow pack within 12 hours, with liquid equivalents averaging 1 to 2 inches. Snowmelt combined with 1 to 3 inches of rain caused the worst regional flooding in over 10 years.
- 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.
- Flood in District of Columbia, September 7 to 10, 1996If a coastal surge weren't enough, a river flood rivaling that of January 1996 struck the city from late on the 7th through early on the 10th, the result of heavy rains in excess of a foot in the upper reaches of the Potomac River basin while the remnants of Hurricane Fran moved…
- Flood and Strong Wind in District of Columbia, October 8, 2005The remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy caused widespread heavy rainfall between 3 to 7 inches across the region. Numerous reports of flooded roads were received due to the prolonged rains.
- 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 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 Hanna originally made landfall near the border of North and South Carolina around 3:20 AM on the 6th.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 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.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, August 2, 2018A southerly flow pumped in plenty of moisture from the Atlantic while a slow moving cold front approached from the west. Copious amounts of moisture ahead of the boundary led to showers and thunderstorms.
- 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 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.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, August 21, 2018Low pressure passed by to the west toward the Great Lakes. The warm front associated with the low moved through the area while the cold front associated with the low approached from the west.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, July 21 to 22, 2018A coastal low pressure moved up the Atlantic seaboard. Copious moisture spread northward across the District of Columbia. Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches were observed, causing flooding, especially along Rock Creek.
- 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.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, July 9, 2021A cold front stalled out over the area with tropical moisture in place. Thunderstorms caused heavy rain that led to instances of flooding.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in District of Columbia, August 10, 2022A weak boundary remained overhead while anomalous amounts of moisture remained in place along with moderate instability. Thunderstorms caused heavy rainfall, and with a slow storm motion this led to instances of flooding and flash flooding.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, September 23 to 24, 2003During the morning of the 23rd heavy rain fell on top of already saturated ground from Hurricane Isabel which struck a few days before. This lead to flooding of roads, waterways, and other low lying areas across the District.
- Flood and High Wind in District of Columbia, April 15 to 16, 2007A Nor'Easter impacted the Mid Atlantic region on April 15th and 16th. Low pressure off the southeastern coast moved north along the Delmarva. Heavy rain spread north across the region early April 15th, causing flooding by the afternoon and evening.
- Flash Flood and Flood in District of Columbia, August 1, 2017Isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms created flooding that intensified to flash flooding in Northwest Washington, DC during the evening of August 1st.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, September 23, 2021A slow moving cold front approached the area on the 22nd before passing through on the 23rd. A deep southerly flow allowed for tropical moisture to move into the area ahead of the boundary.
- Flooding in District of Columbia, September 16, 2021A light flow aloft along with an unstable atmosphere led to slow moving showers and thunderstorms. Heavy amounts of rain led to instances of flooding.
- Flash Flood and Flood in District of Columbia, September 1, 2021The remnants of Ida produced instances of flooding and flash flooding across the area. Tropical moisture infiltrated the area and there were moderate amounts of instability as well.
- Flood in District of Columbia, February 22 to 23, 2003A combination of 2.5 to 3 inches of rain that fell between the evening of the 21st and the morning of the 23rd and snow melt from the massive snowstorm of 14-18 February led to urban flooding. The Mt. Vernon Square/UDC subway station was closed by flood waters.
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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.