220
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$1.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Los Angeles County, California: 220 recorded events between 1998 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #35 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Los Angeles County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Los Angeles County is the 2020s, when 84 of the county's 220 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 Los Angeles County archive, flash flood makes up 42.7% of all recorded severe weather across 16 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #35 for this hazard and #5 within California, putting it in the 98.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Feb is the peak month for flash flood in Los Angeles County with 65 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 8, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jan 9, 2005 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 20, 2004 | NEWHALL | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 6, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 3, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | BOYLE HGTS | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | CARSON | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | LOS ANGELES | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | BALDWIN PARK | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | SANTA ANITA | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | ENCINO | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | TWIN LAKES | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | SANTA MONICA | — | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2026 | SAWTELLE | — | $0 |
| Feb 10, 2026 | (SDB)SANDBERG | — | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Los Angeles County
- Thunderstorm Wind 105
- Tornado 50
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Strong thunderstorms dumped heavy rain over the Barham burn area. The heavy generated a significant mud and debris flow below the burn area. Nearly two feet of mud covered a hundred yard stretch of Forest Lawn Drive. A dozen parked cars were buried by the mud and debris. No injuries were reported.
Heavy rain showers, in excess of one half inch per hour, fell across the Barham Fire burn area. The heavy showers produced flash flooding and mud flows along Forest Lawn Drive where over 1 foot of water and mud was reported.
Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding and significant damage at JCC Production Studio in Sun Valley. Due to significant rainfall, the roof collapsed and water flooded the facility, damaging numerous film equipment and sets.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Los Angeles County, California?
220 flash flood events are recorded in Los Angeles County between 1998 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Los Angeles County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Los Angeles County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/los-angeles-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.