69
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$317K
Property damage
Flash Flood in Johnston County, North Carolina: 69 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #349 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Johnston County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Johnston County is the 2010s, when 25 of the county's 69 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 Johnston County archive, flash flood makes up 9.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #349 for this hazard and #12 within North Carolina, putting it in the 88.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Sep is the peak month for flash flood in Johnston County with 25 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 1999 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 1, 2020 | SMITHFIELD | 0 | 2 | 0 | $15K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2025 | SMITHFIELD | 0 | $2K |
| May 6, 2024 | SMITHFIELD | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 15, 2023 | SMITHFIELD | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 11, 2022 | SMITHFIELD | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2022 | DRUG STORE | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 9, 2021 | KENLY | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 9, 2021 | PRINCETON | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 9, 2021 | PRINCETON | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2021 | PRINCETON | 0 | $25K |
| Jul 27, 2021 | BROGDEN | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Johnston County
- Thunderstorm Wind 446
- Hail 173
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding along Galilee Road. Part of the road washed away in the flooded waters, which resulted in a car being swept off the road. Two individuals were not able to be rescued and drowned in the flood waters.
Numerous roads were closed or impassable due to flash flooding in the Smithfield and Princeton areas. Due to the flash flooding and resultant erosion, there was a partial road collapse on the 700 block of South Vermont Street near the intersection of Meadowbrook Drive and West Parker Street.
Torrential rainfall of 9 to 12 inches caused widespread flash flooding across the county. The heavy rains caused flash flooding on several creeks. Numerous roads closed due to flooding, including portions of Interstate 40, between exit 319 and Exit 325. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded as well, with multiple water rescues from people trapped in homes and vehicles.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Johnston County, North Carolina?
69 flash flood events are recorded in Johnston County between 1996 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Johnston County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Johnston County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Johnston 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 Johnston County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/johnston-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.