60
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Independence County, Arkansas: 60 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #461 nationally and #22 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Independence County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Independence County is the 2000s, when 29 of the county's 60 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Independence County archive, flash flood makes up 10.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #461 for this hazard and #22 within Arkansas, putting it in the 84.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Independence County with 17 recorded events, while Mar is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2009 | NEW HOPE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $15K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2025 | RUTHERFORD | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2023 | PFEIFFER | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2023 | BATESVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2022 | CORD | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 11, 2019 | CORD | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 1, 2018 | BATESVILLE REGL ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2017 | BATESVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 5, 2017 | BATESVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 30, 2016 | BATESVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 2014 | BETHESDA | 0 | $55K |
Other hazards here
More from Independence County
- Thunderstorm Wind 223
- Hail 174
- Tornado 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding struck several parts of Independence County, making numerous water rescues necessary. At least two feet of water covered Arkansas 233 at Moorefield, a mudslide occurred on Arkansas 25 near Brock Mountain, a car was under water at a convenience store in Pfeiffer, and a bridge was under water between Batesville and Moorefield on Arkansas 25 when a creek overflowed. County roads and bridges had considerable damage. A number of houses were damaged by floodwaters.
There was considerable damage to county roads and bridges. For the 24-hour period ending at 7 AM on the 31st, Batesville Lock and Dam measured 4.26 inches of rain. At the Batesville airport, rainfall on the 31st measured 6.25 inches.
The emergency manager estimated that flash flooding occurred at 25 to 30 places in Independence County. Mount Harmon Rd. was washed out and a pick-up truck drove off into a 5-foot hole. Other washouts occurred on Sanders Rd., Lonoke Lane, Gap Rd., Big Creek Rd., Young Rd., Crutcher Rd., Kramer Rd., and the road into Camp Crossed Arrows.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Independence County, Arkansas?
60 flash flood events are recorded in Independence County between 1997 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Independence County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Independence County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Independence County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Independence County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/independence-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.