4,224
Recorded events
58
Counties affected
45
Direct deaths
$2.4B
Property damage
California flood history: 4,224 recorded events across 58 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
California flood history by decade
The 2020s are the busiest decade on record with 2,112 reported flood events across California. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most flood events in California
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kern County | 325 | 0 | $20.7M | 1997–2026 |
| #2 | Fresno County | 312 | 2 | $3.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Sonoma County | 255 | 5 | $208.1M | 2005–2026 |
| #4 | San Diego County | 238 | 5 | $8.8M | 1997–2026 |
| #5 | Tulare County | 218 | 2 | $20.0M | 1997–2025 |
| #6 | Sacramento County | 163 | 1 | $138.6M | 1999–2026 |
| #7 | San Bernardino County | 160 | 1 | $108.0M | 1997–2026 |
| #8 | Alameda County | 152 | 1 | $17.6M | 2002–2026 |
| #9 | Santa Clara County | 143 | 3 | $3.1M | 1996–2026 |
| #10 | Riverside County | 132 | 3 | $2.3M | 1997–2025 |
| #11 | Merced County | 127 | 0 | $20.6M | 1997–2025 |
| #12 | Monterey County | 120 | 1 | $1.2M | 1996–2026 |
| #13 | Mariposa County | 98 | 0 | $232K | 1996–2025 |
| #14 | Humboldt County | 95 | 1 | $31K | 1996–2026 |
| #15 | Marin County | 95 | 0 | $216.2M | 2002–2025 |
| #16 | San Francisco County | 91 | 0 | $15K | 2002–2025 |
| #17 | Butte County | 89 | 0 | $552.1M | 1997–2026 |
| #18 | Orange County | 80 | 0 | $40.7M | 1997–2026 |
| #19 | Madera County | 71 | 0 | $2.9M | 1997–2025 |
| #20 | Mendocino County | 70 | 0 | $1.5M | 1996–2026 |
| #21 | San Mateo County | 64 | 0 | $10.1M | 1996–2026 |
| #22 | Shasta County | 63 | 0 | $290K | 1998–2026 |
| #23 | Santa Cruz County | 60 | 1 | $5.0M | 2006–2026 |
| #24 | Tehama County | 59 | 0 | $14.7M | 2014–2026 |
| #25 | Contra Costa County | 59 | 0 | $44.3M | 1996–2026 |
Significant events
Deadliest flood events in California
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17, 2002 | San Diego County | — | 3 | 2 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Placer County | — | 2 | 0 |
| May 1, 2023 | Fresno County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 8, 2000 | Riverside County | — | 2 | 4 |
| Jan 16, 1998 | Tulare County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Alameda County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 7, 2024 | Placer County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 14, 2003 | San Diego County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jan 9, 2023 | Sonoma County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 26, 2025 | Colusa County | — | 1 | 3 |