231
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$568.5M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Inyo County, California: 231 recorded events between 1997 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #30 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Inyo County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Inyo County is the 2010s, when 139 of the county's 231 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 Inyo County archive, flash flood makes up 76.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #30 for this hazard and #4 within California, putting it in the 99.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Inyo County with 78 recorded events, while Apr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 2004 | DEATH VLY | 0 | 2 | 0 | $20.0M |
| Jul 13, 2008 | INDEPENDENCE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2026 | DEATH VLY | — | $0 |
| Jan 3, 2026 | HARRISBURG | — | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | INDEPENDENCE | 0 | $2K |
| Nov 18, 2025 | DEATH VLY JCT | 0 | $2K |
| Nov 16, 2025 | KEELER | 0 | $100K |
| Nov 15, 2025 | OLANCHA | 0 | $5K |
| Sep 19, 2025 | DEATH VLY | 0 | $20K |
| Sep 5, 2025 | LONE PINE | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 27, 2025 | DEATH VLY JCT | 0 | $2K |
| Aug 26, 2025 | PARK VLG | 0 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Severe flooding in Death Valley National Park caused extensive flooding along CA Highway 190 and Route 127. The flooding completely washed away several miles of roadway and caused damage to several rest areas. Two people traveling along Highway 190 were caught in the flooding and killed after being caught in the flood. Damage was estimated at 20 million dollars and will likely take up to 3 months to completely repair the damage.
Major flash flooding occurred throughout Death Valley National Park. Four hundred miles of NPS roads were damaged or destroyed, in addition to other roads maintained by the county and state. About 1000 feet of fresh water lines were destroyed at Furnace Creek. Damage to most structures was minimized or prevented by berms and other protections. The exact start and end times are unknown.
Major flash flooding hit the Grapevine Canyon area of Death Valley National Park. The Mesquite Springs Campground and Grapevine Ranger Station were evacuated; eight vehicles full of visitors and three park rangers were stranded overnight near Ubehebe Crater. Trenches up to six feet deep were cut into Scotty's Castle Road in Grapevine Canyon. 24 power poles were downed, the water treatment facility was heavily damaged, and water lines and the historic water tank were destroyed. The stables building and long house were heavily damaged. Two feet of mud and debris filled the visitor's center. Several inches of mud, rock, and debris also entered the cookhouse. Scotty's Castle measured 2.72 inches of rain in roughly five hours.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Inyo County, California?
231 flash flood events are recorded in Inyo County between 1997 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Inyo County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Inyo County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Inyo 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 Inyo County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/inyo-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.