132
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
19
Direct injuries
$2.3M
Property damage
Flood in Riverside County, California: 132 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #34 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Riverside County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Riverside County is the 2020s, when 74 of the county's 132 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 Riverside County archive, flood makes up 14.2% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #34 for this hazard and #10 within California, putting it in the 98.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jan is the peak month for flood in Riverside County with 19 recorded events, while May 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2000 | ELSINORE | 0 | 2 | 4 | $60K |
| Jul 13, 1999 | BEAUMONT | 0 | 1 | 4 | $50K |
| Jan 20, 2017 | MURRIETTA ARPT | 0 | 0 | 10 | $0 |
| Feb 13, 2001 | PERRIS | 0 | 0 | 1 | $60K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2025 | GARNET | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 2025 | RIMLON | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 2025 | NORTH PALM SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | (BUO)BEAUMONT | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | BOX SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | MECCA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2025 | THOUSAND PALMS | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | RIVERSIDE JCT | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | EDGEMONT | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | RIVERSIDE JCT | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Riverside County
- Flash Flood 295
- Thunderstorm Wind 168
- Wildfire 96
- Heavy Rain 92
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorms dropped about 3 inches of rain in two hours over Palm Springs. This caused the Whitewater River Storm Channel, the Mesquite Wash, the Palm Canyon Wash, the Tahquitz Creek, and several other washes and flood control channels to rapidly fill. Water, mud, and rocks washed over roads and bridges crossing these washes. Several motorists who crossed these roads before barricades were erected became stuck. One vehicle was rolled five times but the driver was uninjured. One home, ten businesses, and several golf courses were flooded. These were all located near and just downstream of the convergence of these washes. Lightning also knocked out power to the runway and building lights at Palm Springs International Airport.
Two homes on Crestview Drive between Mount Shasta and Mount Rushmore Drives sustained damage to the insides of the residences. Eight additional homes on the block sustained damage on the external portion. No injuries and no residents displaced.
A vigorous Pacific low pressure system spread copious moisture northward and into far southeast California during the morning hours on January 30th. This resulted in widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms across eastern Riverside county. Rainfall was locally heavy at times and as a result, flooding occurred just west of the lower Colorado River valley, between Parker and Blythe. According to local law enforcement, at 0930PST flooding resulted in rock debris across Highway 95 and this forced the closure of the highway at Agnes Wilson Road, approximately 7 miles northwest of Poston. No accidents or injuries were reported due to the flooding.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Riverside County, California?
132 flood events are recorded in Riverside County between 1997 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Riverside County?
The strongest flood on record in Riverside County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Riverside 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
“Flood in Riverside County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/riverside-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.