Debris Flow in North Carolina
Every debris flow event the National Weather Service has filed in North Carolina, year by year, with the most significant episodes. A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.
The most significant on the map
The most significant debris flow episodes in North Carolina.
- 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
- 64
- Deaths
- 22
- Injuries
- 11
- Damage
- $39 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Tropical Storm in North Carolina, September 25 to 29, 2024Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, August 17 to 18, 2021Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on the 16th and lifted steadily north through Georgia and into the southern Appalachians during the 16th and throughout the 17th.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 2004In response to persistent moderate to heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, severe flooding developed across the mountains for the second time in 9 days.
- Debris Flow and Flood in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 2004After an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall, flooding developed first across the western part of the county, when several secondary roads became covered with water.
- Debris Flow and Flood in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 2004After many hours of moderate to heavy rainfall, gradual rises on creeks and streams resulted in the second devastating flood across the county in just 9 days. Flooding first began around Candler, but eventually affected every valley community in the county.
- Debris Flow in North Carolina, May 30, 2018Heavy rainfall on the afternoon of May 30th caused a debris flow into a home that later contributed to a fatal gas explosion that killed two people.
- Debris Flows and Flooding in North Carolina, May 5 to 7, 2013A strong upper low slowly lifted northeast across the southern Appalachian Mountains over the 3 day period.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in North Carolina, May 18 to 19, 2018Wait for it.
- Debris Flows and Flooding in North Carolina, September 7 to 8, 2004Persistent moderate to heavy rain led to widespread flooding along numerous creeks and streams across the northern foothills and northern mountains during the early evening. By early morning on the 8th, flooding was described as some of the worst in the history of the area.
- Debris Flow and Flood in North Carolina, September 7 to 8, 2004Flooding began during the late afternoon across the county and gradually worsened during the evening and overnight hours, with near-record flooding observed along the Swannaoa and French Broad Rivers.
- Debris Flows and Flooding in North Carolina, September 7 to 8, 2004The remnants of Hurricane Frances brought very heavy rainfall to western North Carolina on the 7th and 8th, resulting in widespread severe flooding across the mountains and foothills.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, January 14 to 19, 2013A deep long wave trough developed over the western states around January 10th. The trough gradually moved east over a period of several days.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in North Carolina, September 17, 2004Flooding began shortly after midnight across much of the northern mountains and northern foothills. The hardest hit locations were northern McDowell, Mitchell and Avery Counties, where flooding was at least as severe as that which accompanied Frances.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, April 12 to 13, 2020A strong storm system impacted the Southeast, resulting in an area of widespread heavy rain and embedded strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across western North Carolina during the late night and early morning hours.
- Debris Flow and Flood in North Carolina, September 18, 2004Damaging gradient winds in the early morning hours of 18 Nov 2004 behind the exiting remnants of hurricane Ivan downed numerous trees and power lines. 2000 people were without power in Ashe Co. Locally heavy rain around the Foscoe area of Watauga Co.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, October 28 to 30, 2020Widespread amounts of three to five inches of rainfall were observed across the mountains and foothills during the 24-hour period ending with the passage of Tropical Storm Zeta across the lower mid-Atlantic region.
- Debris Flows and Flooding in North Carolina, September 7 to 8, 2004Flooding developed in the early evening in areas near the Blue Ridge, from Highlands to Cashiers, then quickly spread to include locations such as Cullowhee, Bryson City, and Cherokee.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in North Carolina, October 23 to 24, 2017A strong cold front associated with a negatively tilted shortwave upper trough approached the region on October 23rd.
- Flash Flood and Debris Flow in North Carolina, June 8 to 10, 2019An unusual long-duration event occurred June 7-11 as a very slow-moving upper trough and surface high across New England combined to produce several days of cool-air damming and persistent rainfall along the frontal boundary and in orographically favored areas of the Blue Ridge…
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in North Carolina, September 14 to 18, 2018Hurricane Florence made landfall on the far southeast North Carolina coast on September 14th and tracked very slowly across South Carolina before slowly re-curving across far western North Carolina and southwest Virginia as a Tropical Depression and on into the Ohio Valley.
- Debris Flows and Flooding in North Carolina, September 16 to 17, 2004After an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall, flooding began in Jackson County during the late evening. Cope Creek was the first stream to flood, and evacuations became necessary along the creek.
- Debris Flow in North Carolina, January 7, 2009A large landslide destroyed a home on Wildcat Run Rd after as much as 5 inches of rain fell across the area. Two occupants of the house received minor injuries.
- Debris Flow in North Carolina, February 5, 2010A large debris flow/landslide developed along Rich Cove Rd in the Maggie Valley area. The 30-foot high debris flow affected an area almost 200 feet wide and 3000 feet in length, causing damage to at least four homes along Rich Cove Rd.
- Debris Flow in North Carolina, July 15, 2013Even though no rain had fallen for several hours, a debris flow took out a highway and a couple mobile homes in northern Avery County.
- Debris Flow and Flooding in North Carolina, December 1 to 3, 2010Stream and river flooding lingered into the first day of December over the southern North Carolina mountains.
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.