Flash Flood in Massachusetts
Every flash flood event the National Weather Service has filed in Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts.
- 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
- 609
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- $92 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Massachusetts, July 28, 2014An upper level low developed in the eastern Great Lakes, providing enough lift and energy for showers and thunderstorms to develop across southern New England.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 28, 2020A mid-level short wave trough combined with an approaching cold front and a warm, humid environment to produce severe thunderstorms and flash flooding across MA and northern RI during the afternoon and evening hours. A Flash Flood Emergency occurred in the Norwood, MA area.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, June 13 to 23, 1998On June 12th through the 14th, a very slow moving complex storm system moved through southeast New England.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, July 26, 2011A strong low and disturbance in the upper levels of the atmosphere moved southeast across southern Quebec, impacting portions of eastern New York and western New England Wednesday, July 26th.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, March 30 to 31, 2001A storm system brought heavy snow to portions of interior Massachusetts, heavy rain and strong winds closer to the coast, and renewed flooding on some rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts.Snowfall accumulations were confined to the higher terrain of western, central, and…
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, March 22 to 31, 2001Widespread flooding occurred on rivers and streams in eastern Massachusetts as a result of melting snow and heavy rainfall. The most severe flooding occurred in the Merrimack Valley, where flood damage was estimated at ten million dollars.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, July 10, 2010Two to four inches of rain fell within an hour's time and produced significant urban flash flooding in and around the city of Boston.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, October 4, 2011Low pressure southeast of Nantucket produced widespread showers across southern New England. These showers trained over an area known as the North Shore in Massachusetts, including the towns of Peabody, Swampscott, and Salem.
- Flash Flood in Massachusetts, October 21, 1996
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, October 22 to 23, 2014Low pressure moving up the east coast brought a soaking rain and strong winds to much of southern New England. The strongest winds were along the east coast of Massachusetts where many trees were still fully leaved.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Massachusetts, July 27, 2014An upper level disturbance moving out of the Great Lakes initiated showers and thunderstorms over New York and New England. Enough instability was present in the region for some of these storms to become severe, producing strong to damaging winds and at least one funnel cloud.
- Flash Flood and Flood in Massachusetts, July 18, 2012A cold front moved across southern New England into a warm moist airmass with plenty of instability. This resulted in severe thunderstorms and in some cases training of storms that resulted in flash flooding across some of the more urban areas.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, March 8 to 13, 1998A powerful storm system moving very slowly from the Ohio Valley to the eastern Great Lakes caused strong winds and heavy rainfall to Massachusetts, resulting in urban street flooding, basement flooding, small stream flooding, and main stem river flooding.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, August 16, 2003Severe thunderstorms downed trees in Northampton and large branches in Holyoke, then dropped nickel sized hail in Westfield and Agawam. Another severe thunderstorm in Marshfield downed four large trees, before torrential rainfall flooded several roads in Plymouth.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Massachusetts, June 27, 2009Showers and thunderstorms developed across Southern New England as an upper level low moved across the area. Weak low level winds resulted in these storms moving very slowly, if at all.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Massachusetts, July 6, 2019A cold front advanced into a very moist, almost tropical air mass in place across southern New England. This produced a line of thunderstorms, some with torrential downpours that caused flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Massachusetts, August 23, 2020Diurnally driven thunderstorms brought wind damage, hail, and some flooding to mainly western and central Massachusetts.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Massachusetts, July 27 to 28, 2014A strong area of low pressure was situated over the Great Lakes region on Sunday, July 27th.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Massachusetts, July 23, 2008A frontal system moved through southern New England with the warm front moving through first and increasing low level moisture. Then the cold front moved through providing a lifting mechanism for showers and thunderstorms to develop.
- Flash Flood in Massachusetts, June 13, 1996Thunderstorms with torrential downpours produced a flash flood, which resulted in the worst flooding in 100 years of records on the Sawmill River. All but one access road into the town of Leverett was washed out.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Massachusetts, July 7, 2009An upper level disturbance moved across southern New England bringing cold air in at the upper levels and producing showers and thunderstorms. The cold air at the upper levels created conditions conducive to the production of large hail.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Massachusetts, September 2, 2021On Sept. 1, Tropical Depression Ida tracked northeasward from the central Appalachians and arrived in southern New England late in the day as a remnant low.
- Flash Flood in Massachusetts, September 5, 2012A cold front stalled across southern New England providing a focus for showers and thunderstorms. Plenty of moisture in the atmosphere led to efficient rainfall rates and flash flooding occurred, mainly in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
- Flash Flooding in Massachusetts, July 18, 2005Slow moving (almost stationary) thunderstorms produced a significant flash flood event in north central Franklin County, Massachusetts. Two maximum rainfall totals of 9 inches were reported from Bernardston, where the worst flooding had been reported.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Massachusetts, June 2, 2023Near-record heat and a strong short-wave trough digging southeastward across Quebec led to the development of afternoon thunderstorms, mainly along the higher terrain in central MA and northeast CT. A few of these storms produced isolated wind damage and some large hail.
More
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.