74
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$41.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Orange County, North Carolina: 74 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #307 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Orange County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Orange County is the 2020s, when 42 of the county's 74 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 Orange County archive, flash flood makes up 15.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #307 for this hazard and #10 within North Carolina, putting it in the 90.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Orange County with 27 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 7, 2025 | MC DADE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 9, 2022 | CHAPEL HILL WLLMS AR | 0 | 0 | 1 | $2K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2025 | BUCKHORN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 20, 2025 | CALVANDER | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2025 | OCCONEECHEE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | SCHLEY | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2025 | CARRBORO | 0 | $1K |
| Jul 14, 2025 | CHAPEL HILL | 0 | $3K |
| Jul 10, 2025 | OCCONEECHEE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | CHAPEL HILL WLLMS AR | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | CHAPEL HILL WLLMS AR | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | CHAPEL HILL | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Orange County
- Thunderstorm Wind 278
- Hail 84
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
There were numerous reports of stranded/submerged vehicles, washed out roadways, apartments and residential homes flooded, and law enforcement performed multiple water rescues, including one at Camelot Village. Total estimated damages may have exceeded 30 million across Orange County.
Flooding of streets and buldings was reported countywide, especially in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The Eastgate Shopping center was damaged, as well as several apartments and homes. A bridge was washed out on Piney Mountain Rd.
Heavy rain (4-5 inches) resulted in extensive flooding in the city of Chapel Hill. The first floor of the Town Hall flooded and may be closed for up to a year for repairs. Franklin Street saw widespread flooding, with water above the windows of cars in several locations and some businesses also being impacted. Several buildings on the University of North Carolina had water in them, including the bottom floor of Granville Tower. Another area of the city that experienced flooding was the East Gate Shopping Center, where water entered several businesses and stranded many cars in the parking lot. One hard hit residential areas was along Estes Drive near Highway 15-501, where the Camelot Village Condominiums experienced extensive flooding. In fact, 76 out of 116 units flooded. Another residential area that experienced flooding was the Airport Gardens Public Housing Neighborhood, where 18 out of the 26 units flooded. Due to the flooding, the county qualified for state and federal aid.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Orange County, North Carolina?
74 flash flood events are recorded in Orange County between 1996 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Orange County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Orange County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Orange 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 Orange County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/orange-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.