58
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$6.2M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Brown County, Ohio: 58 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #490 nationally and #13 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Brown County, Ohio: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Brown County is the 2010s, when 27 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 Brown County archive, flash flood makes up 13.0% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #490 for this hazard and #13 within Ohio, 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 Brown County with 17 recorded events, while Oct 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 19, 2015 | EASTWOOD | 0 | 3 | 3 | $3.0M |
| Mar 1, 1997 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $2.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2025 | SOUTH STRINGTOWN | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | RIPLEY | 0 | $15K |
| Jul 20, 2025 | RIPLEY | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | FAYETTEVILLE JJ ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 19, 2023 | FREEBURG | 0 | $50K |
| Jul 19, 2023 | FEESBURG | 0 | $5K |
| Sep 3, 2020 | FREEBURG | 0 | $0 |
| May 24, 2020 | BOUDES FERRY | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2017 | RIPLEY | 0 | $250K |
| Jun 23, 2017 | VERA CRUZ | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Brown County
- Thunderstorm Wind 251
- Hail 66
- Flood 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorms developed across Brown County around 2100EST. A rain gauge near Red Oak received 2.4 inches of rain between 2120EST and 2205EST. Flooding started in the Georgetown area around 2140EST, when 6 people were stranded in multiple vehicles along State Route 125 due to rapidly rising water on Straight Creek. Over the next hour, numerous water rescues occurred throughout much of Brown County. By 2220EST, 3.0 inches of rain had fallen at the Red Oak gauge. Between 2200EST and 2300EST, Red Oak Creek rapidly rose out of its banks and caused widespread damage to homes and roads along the creek from Red Oak to where the creek enters the Ohio River in Ripley. Over 30 homes were affected by flood waters along Red Oak Creek. Three homes along the creek were completely destroyed and another 5 homes suffered major damage. Two adults and 4 children were in one of the houses as it was swept into the creek. One adult and two of the children were killed and the others were injured. Flash flooding continued into the early morning hours of the 19th.
Four to five inches of rain produced widespread flash flooding across southeastern Brown County. Damage to several roads was reported throughout Huntington Township and a bridge at Stringtown and Flaugher Hill Roads sustained damage. One vehicle was washed down a creek and numerous vehicles were stranded in high water.
Three to four feet of water was reported over Highway 52 between Higginsport and Ripley. Mud was covering the roadway near Free Soil Road. A tree was downed across A and P Road. Fire crews were working to clean up the roadways. This flooding occurred due to persistent heavy rainfall.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Brown County, Ohio?
58 flash flood events are recorded in Brown County between 1996 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Brown County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Brown County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Brown 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 Brown County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/brown-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.