58
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$10.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Cortland County, New York: 58 recorded events between 1996 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #490 nationally and #34 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Cortland County, New York: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Cortland County is the 2010s, when 21 of the county's 58 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 Cortland County archive, flash flood makes up 13.4% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #490 for this hazard and #34 within New York, putting it in the 84.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Cortland County with 16 recorded events, while Feb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | CORTLAND | — | $2K |
| Jun 22, 2025 | EAST FREETOWN | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 7, 2025 | EAST RIVER | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 20, 2024 | TEXAS VLY | 0 | $3K |
| Jun 20, 2024 | MARATHON | 0 | $6K |
| Jun 20, 2024 | MESSENGERVILLE | 0 | $3K |
| Dec 18, 2023 | LAPEER | 0 | $30K |
| Oct 26, 2021 | CORTLAND | 0 | $50K |
| Oct 26, 2021 | EAST VIRGIL | 0 | $5K |
| Oct 4, 2021 | VIRGIL | 0 | $100K |
Other hazards here
More from Cortland County
- Thunderstorm Wind 293
- Hail 61
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Many roads in the county were closed due to flooding. A large section of Route 11 was closed between Polkville and Marathon. Trout Brook over-topped a bridge where it crossed Route 11, and many roads in the Village of McGraw, including Route 41, were closed.
Over a dozen roads were reported flooded in the greater Cortland area with one road having over two feet of water flowing over it. A flash flood was also reported north of Cortland near Preble where northbound Interstate 81 was closed due to flooding at Exit Thirteen.
Heavy rain with amounts up to 3 inches in an hour caused flash flooding. Mosquito Creek flooded roadways and flowed into several basements. 1 house had water into the first floor. State Route 41 was closed due to flooding for half an hour.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Cortland County, New York?
58 flash flood events are recorded in Cortland County between 1996 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Cortland County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Cortland County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Cortland 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 Cortland County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/cortland-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.