65
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.8M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Okaloosa County, Florida: 65 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #389 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Okaloosa County, Florida: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Okaloosa County is the 2000s, when 20 of the county's 65 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 Okaloosa County archive, flash flood makes up 11.2% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #389 for this hazard and #8 within Florida, putting it in the 87.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for flash flood in Okaloosa County with 13 recorded events, while Nov 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 28, 2009 | DORCAS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2025 | GARNIER | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | OCEAN CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | OCEAN CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | OCEAN CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2023 | OCEAN CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 2023 | SHALIMAR | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | FLOROSA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2023 | OCEAN CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 4, 2021 | SEMINOLE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 4, 2021 | DESTIN FT WALTON ARP | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Okaloosa County
- Thunderstorm Wind 276
- Tornado 100
- Hail 66
- Lightning 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Eight to foruteen inches of rain fell across Okaloosa County during the evening of April 29th and the early morning of April 30th. The rain resulted in widespread flash flooding across the county. 737 homes were damaged by flood waters. Numerous roads were impassable during the event, with several damaged or compromised by the fast moving flood waters.
Significant flooding occurred in the Destin area due to slow moving thunderstorms. Destin Airport recorded a storm total of 12.54 inches. A trained spotter reported several feet of water due to the heavy rain in multiple locations near Destin. Some of the roads impacted include FL Hwy 293, US Highway 98, and around Middle Bay Bridge. Numerous cars were stalled due to the flood waters. The flood waters made it into the garages of a few homes in the Quail Run subdivision on Airport Rd.
Heavy rains that began on March 31 and continued into April 1, caused flooding in the central and southern parts of the county. Numerous roads had to be closed for several hours because of the heavy rains. It was estimated that six to eight inches of rain fell across the area in a 24 hour period. More than 50 people were evacuated from an apartment complex due to the threat of it sliding into a drainage ditch. The heavy rains caused erosion in the ditch and the apartments were in danger of sliding in. Fortunately workers were able to shore up the ditch and the apartments were saved. No injuries occurred.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Okaloosa County, Florida?
65 flash flood events are recorded in Okaloosa County between 1997 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Okaloosa County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Okaloosa County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County, Florida.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/florida/okaloosa-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.