58
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$64.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Orange County, California: 58 recorded events between 1997 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #490 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Orange County, California: 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 2000s, 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 Orange County archive, flash flood makes up 14.8% of all recorded severe weather across 15 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #490 for this hazard and #10 within California, putting it in the 84.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Feb is the peak month for flash flood in Orange County with 18 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 24, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | 2 | $29.7M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 21, 2025 | WESTMINSTER | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 1, 2024 | SEAL BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 1, 2024 | TALBERT | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 1, 2023 | RED HILL | 0 | $10K |
| Jan 14, 2023 | LAGUNA HILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2023 | RED HILL | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2022 | SANTA ANA | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 14, 2021 | SILVERADO | 0 | $800K |
| Mar 10, 2021 | SILVERADO | 0 | $75K |
| Jan 25, 2021 | SILVERADO | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Orange County
- Flood 80
- Heavy Rain 58
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain caused extensive flooding in downtown Laguna Beach with up to 4 feet of water on Broadway Street. Stranded motorists were rescued. The water also swept mud through homes, businesses and streets in the city. Approximately 184 businesses, homes and structures were damaged by the flooding. Sewer pumps were also damaged, resulting in the closure of about 12 miles of Orange County beaches, due to the pollution and waste entered into the storm runoff.
Reported 6 debris flows in Bond Fire scar and 4 in Silverado Canyon. Santiago Creek Road blockage from high water flows and mud. Jackson Creek Road flooded with mud and debris. Rainfall rates of up to 1.2 inches reported at Irvine Lake and Santiago Canyon site.
Heavy rain from a thunderstorm over the Santiago Burn Area triggered damaging debris flows in Modjeska Canyon. The lowest floor of a 2-story house was completely inundated with approximately 1000 cubic meters of debris flow material. Damage to this home was extensive. The yard of a nearby home was inundated with approximately 2500 cubic meters of debris flow material.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Orange County, California?
58 flash flood events are recorded in Orange County between 1997 and 2025, causing 2 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, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/orange-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.