256
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$51.6M
Property damage
Flash Flood in San Diego County, California: 256 recorded events between 1998 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #19 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in San Diego County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in San Diego County is the 2000s, when 116 of the county's 256 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 San Diego County archive, flash flood makes up 22.9% of all recorded severe weather across 16 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #19 for this hazard and #3 within California, putting it in the 99.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in San Diego County with 59 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 2024 | (SEE)SAN DIEGO GILLE | 0 | 2 | 0 | $100K |
| Jan 22, 2017 | RAINBOW | 0 | 2 | 0 | $10K |
| Jan 29, 2021 | SAN YSIDRO | 0 | 1 | 8 | $0 |
| Dec 17, 2008 | SAN YSIDRO | 0 | 0 | 3 | $250K |
| Jan 11, 2005 | POWAY | 0 | 0 | 2 | $200K |
| Feb 22, 2004 | EL CAJON | 0 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14, 2025 | SORRENTO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | SORRENTO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2025 | SORRENTO | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2024 | BANNER | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 11, 2024 | OCOTILLO WELLS | 0 | $30K |
| Mar 30, 2024 | TENT CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 30, 2024 | (SAN)SAN DIEGO INTL | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 22, 2024 | ENCANTO | 0 | $200K |
| Jan 22, 2024 | TENT CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 22, 2024 | (SAN)SAN DIEGO INTL | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from San Diego County
- Flood 238
- Heavy Rain 140
- Thunderstorm Wind 118
- Wildfire 105
- Funnel Cloud 58
- Hail 52
- Lightning 43
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Fox5 in San Diego reported that two people, 46 year old female and 48 year old male, were found deceased, drowning in a creek in Santee, near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Cuyamaca Road. Exactly how and when the deceased were swept into the creek is unknown.
A swift water rescue team pulled a man from a submerged car in a small creek near Old Highway 395 and 5th St. in Rainbow. A young boy, also in the car, was swept down stream before rescuers arrived. The boys body was recovered on the 26th.
CalTrans report of significant flooding near I-805 South and Imperial Avenue and Market Street in Encanto. Large debris and several vehicles were video taped moving downstream on Chollas Creek near Jacob Center and Chollas View, starting at the park. The light rail double train tracks were undercut and severely damaged. Concrete lining in the channel was completely removed and chain link fencing destroyed by debris and flash flooding. Numerous homes in Encanto were flooded out and damaged. FEMA estimated up to 600 homes in this area had major flood damage. This area had rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches in 1 hour and 3 inches in around 90 minutes. Spring Valley ALERT recorded 1000 year rainfall return interval with 2.45 inches in 60 minutes and 3.15 inches in 2 hours. San Diego Fire and rescue reported just over 200 water rescues. There worse areas and were 1200 households were displaced from floods included Mountain View, Encanto, Valencia Park, Shelltown, Southcrest, and Lincoln Park.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in San Diego County, California?
256 flash flood events are recorded in San Diego County between 1998 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in San Diego County?
The strongest flash flood on record in San Diego County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for San Diego 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 San Diego County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-diego-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.