55
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$8.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in DeKalb County, Georgia: 55 recorded events between 1997 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #534 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in DeKalb County, Georgia: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in DeKalb County is the 2000s, when 21 of the county's 55 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 DeKalb County archive, flash flood makes up 10.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #534 for this hazard and #4 within Georgia, putting it in the 82.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in DeKalb County with 11 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2023 | NORTH ATLANTA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2023 | EMORY UNIVERSITY | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2023 | OAK GROVE | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 4, 2023 | DORAVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2022 | GRESHAM PARK | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 30, 2021 | TUCKER | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | (PDK)DEKALB PEACHTRE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2021 | HENRICO | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2020 | DORAVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 2017 | BUCHANAN | 0 | $25K |
Other hazards here
More from DeKalb County
- Thunderstorm Wind 292
- Hail 127
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The DeKalb County Emergency Management Director reported major flooding was once again observed along Peachtree and Nancy Creeks across the northern portion of Atlanta. This information was confirmed by National Weather Service river gages on these creeks. The creek was within two feet of the record stage reached just 10 days earlier during the remnants of Hurricane Ivan. Major flooding affected many roads and homes, many of which were the same ones affected just 10 days prior. The Peachtree Apartments were flooded. Several evacuations and rescues were required. All of this flooding was the result of heavy rain which persisted on the northwest side of the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne as it moved through East Central Georgia.
Several USGS stream gages showed significant flooding commencing during this time frame across DeKalb county as thunderstorms with heavy rain, which had been west of the area most of the night, began to edge east-northeast and develop across Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett counties. The South Fork of Peachtree Creek at Johnson Road reached its flood stage of 12.0 feet at 128 am EDT. The North Fork of Peachtree Creek at Buford Highway reached its flood stage of 12.0 feet at 201 am EDT. Many homes, apartments, and businesses began to experience significant flooding during this time frame, especially in the vicinity of the flooded creeks. A number of roads also became flooded, impassable, and were closed. Monetary damage to roads and property during this time frame was estimated to exceed $750,000.
Fox 5 News of Atlanta reported that extensive flooding was occurring in the Brookhaven area. Several hundred people in Brookhaven had to be rescued from their apartments. This flooding was attributed to the rapid rise of Peachtree Creek. In some places the water was 10 feet deep. Several other roads across the northern portion of the county were also flooded, including Clairmont Road and Buford Highway. One resident on Drew Valley Road in Decatur reported that her neighbor's play set washed into her yard over an 8 foot fence.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in DeKalb County, Georgia?
55 flash flood events are recorded in DeKalb County between 1997 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in DeKalb County?
The strongest flash flood on record in DeKalb County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, Georgia.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/georgia/dekalb-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.