238
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$8.8M
Property damage
Flood in San Diego County, California: 238 recorded events between 1997 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #6 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in San Diego County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in San Diego County is the 2020s, when 140 of the county's 238 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, flood makes up 21.3% of all recorded severe weather across 16 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #6 for this hazard and #4 within California, putting it in the 99.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Feb is the peak month for flood in San Diego County with 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17, 2002 | FALLBROOK | 0 | 3 | 2 | $60K |
| Feb 6, 2024 | SAN YSIDRO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2003 | SAN YSIDRO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 14, 2021 | (MYF)MNTGMRY FLD SAN | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Mar 5, 2000 | SAN YSIDRO | 0 | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| May 7, 2017 | LEMON GROVE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Feb 11, 2003 | ESCONDIDO | 0 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Feb 11, 2003 | MIRAMAR | 0 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 | SORRENTO | — | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | HILLCREST | — | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | LA PRESA | — | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | PACIFIC BEACH | — | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | (SAN)SAN DIEGO INTL | — | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | OVERLOOK | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | LEUCADIA | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | LA JOLLA | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | CARLSBAD | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 18, 2025 | BORREGO SPGS | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from San Diego County
- Flash Flood 256
- 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
A 61 year old man drowned in the Tijuana River Channel on February 6 while attempting to cross the international border, following heavy rain in San Diego. San Diego Fire-Rescue swift water crews pulled the body from the river and despite attempted lifesaving measures, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Significant flooding occurred along the San Diego River in Mission Valley with the river cresting at 14.15 ft, the third highest stage all-time. Numerous roadways were closed, the Fashion Valley Mall parking structure was closed and the Fashion Valley Transit Center was closed to bus traffic. Numerous water rescues were conducted along the San Diego River including 20 people rescued from the Premier Inns Mission Valley. Many vehicles were also flooded and destroyed.
The San Diego River at Fashion Valley has been above its flood stage of 11.3 feet since 1330 PST. A peak river stage of 14.01 feet was reported, making this a moderate flood event. The river flooding resulted in numerous closed roadways and portions of the Fashion Valley Mall parking facilities were under water. This river flooding also resulted in extensive flooding of the Qualcomm Stadium on Friars Road, including both the stadium itself and the surrounding parking lot. A total of about 1.5 million gallons of water had to be pumped out of that area, back into the river.|A flood channel overflowed, resulting in evacuations of 12 houses in Barrio Logan neighborhood in San Diego. Five people were evacuated from homes in Encanto due to stream flooding.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in San Diego County, California?
238 flood events are recorded in San Diego County between 1997 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in San Diego County?
The strongest flood on record in San Diego County measured 0.
Where does the 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
“Flood in San Diego County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-diego-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.