80
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$40.7M
Property damage
Flood in Orange County, California: 80 recorded events between 1997 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #102 nationally and #18 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Orange County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Orange County is the 2020s, when 44 of the county's 80 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, flood makes up 20.4% of all recorded severe weather across 15 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #102 for this hazard and #18 within California, putting it in the 96.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Feb is the peak month for flood in Orange County with 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2001 | GARDEN GROVE | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | HUNTINGTON BEACH | — | $0 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | HUNTINGTON BEACH | — | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | KATHRYN | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | HUNTINGTON BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | IRVINE | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 15, 2025 | SUNSET BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2025 | SAN JUAN HOT SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | (SNA)SANTA ANA CO AR | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | (SNA)SANTA ANA CO AR | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 14, 2025 | (SNA)SANTA ANA CO AR | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Orange County
- Heavy Rain 58
- Flash Flood 58
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Orange County officials estimate the total damages to public and private property at $36 million, due the 10+ of rain received by many areas. The city of Laguna Beach was certainly the hardest hit, making up approximately $12 million of the county's damages. Twelve miles of beaches in the county also had to be closed due to massive amounts of debris and pollution in storm runoff.
Very heavy rainfall occurred across inland Orange County from the evening on March 14 through the morning on March 15. Rainfall of 1.50-2.50 fell. An MPing report of street and road flooding resulting in road closures and stranded vehicles was reported near Santa Ana early in the morning on March 15.
Heavy rain led to flooding early in the morning on February 25 across inland Orange County, centered around the community of Costa Mesa. The Department of Highways reported flooding at the Bristol Street on-ramp on I-405 with vehicles stuck in the floodwaters; street flooding leading to road closures and stranded vehicles; and SR-173 and Campus Drive had 1-2 feet of water in two lanes.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Orange County, California?
80 flood events are recorded in Orange County between 1997 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Orange County?
The strongest flood on record in Orange County measured 0.
Where does the 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
“Flood in Orange County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/orange-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.