99
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$48.5M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: 99 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #168 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Mecklenburg County is the 2010s, when 40 of the county's 99 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 Mecklenburg County archive, flash flood makes up 11.1% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #168 for this hazard and #4 within North Carolina, putting it in the 94.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Mecklenburg County with 24 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 1997 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 3 | 0 | $8.5M |
| Aug 5, 2011 | MATTHEWS | 0 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 23, 1999 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 1998 | CHARLOTTE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2025 | GRIFFITH | 0 | $100K |
| Jun 13, 2025 | SHOPTON | 0 | $1.0M |
| Sep 27, 2024 | HAHN | 0 | $150K |
| Sep 27, 2024 | THRIFT | 0 | $25.0M |
| Aug 8, 2024 | DIXIE | 0 | $25K |
| Jul 22, 2024 | HASKINGS MILLS | 0 | $500 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | PINEVILLE | 0 | $10K |
| Aug 12, 2021 | NORTH CHARLOTTE | 0 | $1K |
| Jun 6, 2021 | STONEHAVEN | 0 | $2K |
| Nov 12, 2020 | PINEVILLE | 0 | $1.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Mecklenburg County
- Thunderstorm Wind 429
- Hail 246
- Lightning 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A mother and daughter drowned when they attempted to wade through a rain-swollen tributary of Irvins Creek, about 9 miles southeast of Center City Charlotte. The approximate time of death was 1:30 pm EST (or 2:30 pm EDT).
Emergency management and a stream gauge and reported flash flooding developed in the Mountain Island Lake area ater extremely heavy rainfall occurred across the headwaters of the Catawba River in the mountains and foothills over a three day period. More than a hundred homes and numerous roads downstream of the dam were inundated and damaged, especially on Lake Dr, Riverside Dr, and Riverhaven Dr. The stream level gauge at the dam crested more than a foot above the record (August 1940).
Severe flash flooding developed along Briar Creek in east Charlotte. Numerous cars were submerged on Independence Bvd, with some rescues required. Numerous evacuations were required of homes and apartments along the creek, as water entered dozens of structures. Uninsured losses included major damage to 147 homes and 1 business. Affected roads included Dunlavin Way, Harbinger Ct, Chantilly Lane, Cavalier Ct, and Dolphin Lane. Several houses and one apartment complex on these streets were condemned by the city.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
99 flash flood events are recorded in Mecklenburg County between 1996 and 2025, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Mecklenburg County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Mecklenburg County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.