Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest flood episodes on record.
- 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
- 70,805
- Deaths
- 782
- Injuries
- 2,462
- Damage
- $49 billion
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, May 1 to 4, 2010A frontal boundary setup across Western and Middle Tennessee late Friday night (April 30), and remained through the weekend. A persistent southerly flow fed moisture into the area and precipitable water values rose to almost 2 inches, based on data from KOHX upper air soundings.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, October 8 to 13, 2016Hurricane Matthew skirted by the North Carolina coast on October 8, 2016, dropping torrential rainfall of 8 to 15 inches and producing wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph across Central and Eastern North Carolina.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Pennsylvania, September 7 to 11, 2011Heavy rainfall from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee produced widespread flooding, flash flooding and river flooding mainly near and to the east of the Susquehanna Valley from September 4-10.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, August 11 to 27, 2016A slow moving low pressure system brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the area. The system tapped into deep tropical moisture resulting in very intense rainfall across a large portion of the area.
- Flooding in Oregon, February 6 to 15, 1996Runoff from heavy rains and melting mountain snow caused major floods upon many northern Oregon rivers. The first rivers reached flood stage on the morning of February 6th while the heaviest rain was still falling.
- Hurricane and Tornado in Florida, September 27 to 30, 2022After making landfall as a major hurricane in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa, Ian crossed the peninsula and into east central Florida (southern Osceola County) as a Category 1 Hurricane with estimated maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in West Virginia, June 23 to 24, 2016Multiple rounds of convection resulted in wind damage and flooding. Flash flooding on small streams turned into river flooding. A historic and record setting flood occurred along portions of the Elk and Gauley Rivers in central West Virginia.
- Tornado and Tropical Storm in New Jersey, August 27 to 31, 2011Irene produced torrential downpour rains that resulted in major flooding and a number of record breaking crests on area rivers, tropical storm force wind gusts with record breaking outages for New Jersey utilities, one confirmed tornado and a three to five foot storm surge that…
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, September 27 to 30, 2010A stalled front across eastern North Carolina combined with a deep southerly flow of very moist air led to several days of torrential rain across eastern North Carolina from September 27th through the 30th.
- Flooding in Oregon, November 17 to 21, 1996A moist southwest flow aloft produced moderate to heavy rain and strong winds over southwest Oregon between Nov 17 and Nov 21. Storm total rainfall ranged from 8 to 12 inches on the coast with local amounts near 20 inches...3 to 7 inches of rainfall fell inland.
- Flood in Kentucky, March 1 to 6, 1997Persistent heavy rainfall occurred for nearly 36 hours on the 1st and 2nd. Up to 12 inches of rain fell across parts of Northern Kentucky bringing the Licking river at Falmouth out of it's banks.
- Flood and Strong Wind in Kentucky, April 29, 2020An intense area of low pressure moved into the lower Great Lakes region early this day, subsequently producing gusty south to southwest winds across much of eastern Kentucky during the late morning to early afternoon.
- Hurricane and Tropical Storm in North Carolina, October 8 to 13, 2016Hurricane Matthew moved northeast offshore of the North Carolina coast late on October 8th through October 9th. Widespread heavy rain developed on October 8th and continued through early on October 9th as Matthew approached and moved offshore of the coast.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, November 4 to 8, 2024Multiple rounds of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms brought severe weather and flooding to southwest Missouri from November 4-5, 2024.
- Flooding in Virginia, January 19 to 22, 1996***River Flooding***High dewpoint temperatures melted most of the snow on the ground within 12 hours. The snow pack had a liquid equivalent between 2 to 3 inches.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, December 26 to 31, 2015A multi-faceted storm system brought several periods of heavy rain to central and southeast Illinois from December 26th through 28th.
- Flooding in Arkansas, May 1 to 31, 2011Heavy rains continued to occur across the Mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley during the beginning part of May. In addition, spring snow melt across the Dakotas and Minnesota continued to create higher than normal river levels on the Mississippi River.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, June 13 to 14, 2026Severe thunderstorms with tornadoes and damaging winds occurred late in the evening of June 13, 2026. Repeated rounds of heavy rainfall caused flash flooding and river flooding. Between 3 and 6 inches of rainfall fell with this system. Some fatalities occurred from the flooding.
- Flooding in Indiana, March 4 to 9, 2026During March 3 to March 7, 2026, large surface high pressure from the southeastern United States into the Atlantic focused a broad fetch of Gulf moisture northward into the Midwest.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Nebraska, March 13 to 31, 2019A 971mb bomb cyclone moved out of the central Rockies on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 and helped to create widespread, moderate to major, and in many cases historic, flooding across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
- Hurricane and Tornadoes in North Carolina, September 13 to 18, 2018Hurricane Florence was a long-lived Cape Verde hurricane and the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the Carolinas.
- Flooding in Minnesota, April 1 to 30, 2001Heavy snowfall during winter remained on the ground through the end of March and then rapidly melted, resulting in river stages close to record levels. Water began to gush through drainage ditches, streams and into the mainstem rivers during midday April 1.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in Tennessee, September 25 to 29, 2024Tropical Storm Helene caps off a several day heavy rainfall event in association with a stalled closed upper low that drew a stream of tropical moisture into the area on the 25th and 26th.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, December 26 to 28, 2015A slow moving and strong weather system caused several rounds of very heavy and record breaking rainfall to occur across the Missouri Ozarks which led to historic and deadly flooding.
- Flooding in Pennsylvania, January 19 to 21, 1996The combination of snowmelt from the previous week's two storms, unseasonably warm temperatures and an additional one to two inches of rain caused the flash flooding of almost every small stream and significant roadway flooding the afternoon and early evening hours on the 19th.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, August 11 to 27, 2016
- Flood in North Dakota, April 18 to 23, 1997
- Flooding in Tennessee, May 1 to 31, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, May 1 to 4, 2010
- Flooding in Louisiana, August 14 to 31, 2016
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Vermont, August 28 to 31, 2011
- Flooding in Iowa, June 1 to 30, 2008
- Hurricane and Tornado in Florida, September 27 to 30, 2022
- Flooding in Iowa, June 12 to 30, 2010
- Flooding in Mississippi, May 1 to 31, 2011
- Flooding in Florida, October 3 to 4, 2000
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in New York, September 7 to 12, 2011
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in North Carolina, October 8 to 13, 2016
- Tornado and Tropical Storm in New Jersey, August 27 to 31, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Colorado, September 11 to 20, 2013
- Flooding in Nevada, January 1 to 17, 1997
- Flooding in South Dakota, June 1 to 30, 2019
- Flood in Minnesota, April 17 to 23, 1997
- Tornadoes and Tropical Storm in North Carolina, September 13 to 25, 2018
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, May 1 to 15, 2010
- Flooding in California, February 11 to 13, 2017
- Hurricane and Tornadoes in Florida, September 8 to 30, 2017
- Flooding in Missouri, July 1 to 7, 2007
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Texas, August 21 to 22, 2022
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Nebraska, March 13 to 31, 2019
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 4,756 | 8 | 123 | $3.3 billion |
| Missouri | 4,577 | 47 | 10 | $1.0 billion |
| California | 4,231 | 53 | 72 | $2.6 billion |
| Indiana | 3,856 | 51 | 15 | $1.5 billion |
| Kentucky | 3,714 | 56 | 21 | $592 million |
| Ohio | 3,509 | 31 | 9 | $426 million |
| Virginia | 3,464 | 20 | 6 | $249 million |
| Illinois | 3,209 | 34 | 24 | $313 million |
| South Dakota | 2,538 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 billion |
| Pennsylvania | 2,203 | 33 | 107 | $841 million |
| New York | 2,202 | 16 | 27 | $1.3 billion |
| Arkansas | 1,901 | 24 | 8 | $588 million |
| West Virginia | 1,845 | 28 | 1 | $399 million |
| Texas | 1,844 | 47 | 1,860 | $2.0 billion |
| Puerto Rico | 1,671 | 9 | 2 | $72 million |
| Kansas | 1,646 | 11 | 8 | $140 million |
| Florida | 1,580 | 13 | 2 | $3.7 billion |
| Maryland | 1,471 | 2 | 4 | $81 million |
| Wisconsin | 1,464 | 16 | 7 | $713 million |
| Minnesota | 1,324 | 8 | 3 | $1.6 billion |
| North Carolina | 1,194 | 39 | 7 | $1.7 billion |
| Tennessee | 1,059 | 35 | 1 | $4.3 billion |
| New Jersey | 1,053 | 13 | 1 | $1.1 billion |
| Nebraska | 1,030 | 7 | 3 | $887 million |
| Oklahoma | 1,025 | 25 | 4 | $26 million |
| Massachusetts | 1,007 | 3 | 18 | $224 million |
| Georgia | 954 | 4 | 3 | $451 million |
| Maine | 931 | 5 | 1 | $127 million |
| Oregon | 713 | 22 | 8 | $826 million |
| Montana | 699 | 8 | 0 | $74 million |
| North Dakota | 664 | 11 | 5 | $3.9 billion |
| Michigan | 639 | 4 | 0 | $564 million |
| Washington | 589 | 10 | 0 | $603 million |
| New Hampshire | 551 | 2 | 0 | $51 million |
| Alabama | 517 | 4 | 1 | $253 million |
| Alaska | 497 | 2 | 0 | $287 million |
| Idaho | 468 | 1 | 4 | $217 million |
| South Carolina | 423 | 4 | 1 | $43 million |
| Vermont | 410 | 3 | 1 | $1.1 billion |
| Colorado | 405 | 18 | 9 | $789 million |
| Louisiana | 405 | 11 | 1 | $6.4 billion |
| Arizona | 405 | 12 | 2 | $42 million |
| Connecticut | 347 | 6 | 4 | $27 million |
| Hawaii | 294 | 1 | 7 | $5.5 million |
| Mississippi | 260 | 7 | 2 | $1.0 billion |
| Wyoming | 193 | 1 | 0 | $47 million |
| Utah | 185 | 6 | 16 | $348 million |
| Rhode Island | 175 | 1 | 1 | $93 million |
| Delaware | 167 | 0 | 1 | $600,000 |
| Nevada | 153 | 2 | 51 | $714 million |
| New Mexico | 129 | 2 | 0 | $36 million |
| District of Columbia | 82 | 0 | 0 | $10 million |
| Guam | 78 | 0 | 1 | $1.5 million |
| American Samoa | 51 | 0 | 0 | $322,000 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 48 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 million |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
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.