4,032
Recorded events
100
Counties affected
141
Direct deaths
$2.5B
Property damage
North Carolina flash flood history: 4,032 recorded events across 100 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
North Carolina flash flood history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 1,299 reported flash flood events across North Carolina. 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 flash flood events in North Carolina
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wake County | 280 | 1 | $70.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Guilford County | 134 | 1 | $3.4M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | New Hanover County | 113 | 0 | $7.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Mecklenburg County | 99 | 6 | $48.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Brunswick County | 96 | 0 | $5.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #6 | Stanly County | 93 | 5 | $300K | 1996–2025 |
| #7 | Durham County | 91 | 0 | $741K | 1996–2025 |
| #8 | Watauga County | 85 | 2 | $262.2M | 1996–2024 |
| #9 | Cumberland County | 80 | 0 | $3.4M | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Orange County | 74 | 1 | $41.7M | 1996–2025 |
| #11 | Ashe County | 70 | 1 | $117.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #12 | Johnston County | 69 | 5 | $317K | 1996–2025 |
| #13 | Pender County | 66 | 1 | $6.4M | 1996–2024 |
| #14 | Davidson County | 65 | 1 | $709K | 1996–2025 |
| #15 | Wilkes County | 64 | 0 | $7.5M | 1996–2024 |
| #16 | Pitt County | 63 | 1 | $250K | 1996–2025 |
| #17 | Caldwell County | 63 | 0 | $41.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #18 | Surry County | 62 | 0 | $2.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #19 | Henderson County | 61 | 7 | $201.7M | 1996–2024 |
| #20 | Rockingham County | 61 | 0 | $3.8M | 1996–2024 |
| #21 | Randolph County | 59 | 0 | $46K | 1997–2025 |
| #22 | Forsyth County | 59 | 0 | $435K | 1996–2024 |
| #23 | Union County | 55 | 2 | $290K | 1996–2024 |
| #24 | Sampson County | 54 | 0 | $5.3M | 1996–2024 |
| #25 | Carteret County | 53 | 0 | $10K | 1996–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest flash flood events in North Carolina
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Buncombe County | — | 15 | 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Buncombe County | — | 9 | 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Yancey County | — | 9 | 0 |
| Sep 16, 1999 | Edgecombe County | — | 8 | 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Henderson County | — | 7 | 0 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | Avery County | — | 6 | 0 |
| Nov 12, 2020 | Alexander County | — | 5 | 0 |
| Jun 16, 2003 | Stanly County | — | 5 | 0 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | Haywood County | — | 5 | 0 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Madison County | — | 5 | 0 |