160
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$108.0M
Property damage
Flood in San Bernardino County, California: 160 recorded events between 1997 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #21 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in San Bernardino County, California: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in San Bernardino County is the 2020s, when 73 of the county's 160 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 San Bernardino County archive, flood makes up 9.7% of all recorded severe weather across 12 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #21 for this hazard and #7 within California, putting it in the 99.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flood in San Bernardino County with 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 19, 2010 | LOS SERRANOS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 8, 2002 | WRIGHTWOOD | 0 | 0 | 3 | $200K |
| Feb 11, 2003 | FONTANA | 0 | 0 | 2 | $300K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | KEENBROOK | — | $0 |
| Dec 24, 2025 | KEENBROOK | 0 | $1.5M |
| Dec 24, 2025 | WRIGHTWOOD | 0 | $3.0M |
| Dec 24, 2025 | PHELAN | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 24, 2025 | WRIGHTWOOD | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2025 | CEDAR GLEN | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 2025 | SOUTH FONTANA | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 2025 | GROMMET | 0 | $100 |
| Sep 27, 2025 | NEEDLES | 0 | $1K |
| Sep 19, 2025 | FOUR CORNERS | 0 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from San Bernardino County
- Flash Flood 836
- Thunderstorm Wind 197
- Heavy Rain 124
- Wildfire 90
- Hail 67
- Lightning 63
- Debris Flow 50
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous streets in the Chino area were flooded with several inches or more of water after nearly a week of intense rainfall. A 67 year old woman from Pasadena drove her car around a barricade near Chino on Christmas night. The water was deep enough that her car floated about 150 feet down the road, then sank in 10 feet of water. A 39 year old man, owner of a nearby business, jumped into the water and broke the car's sunroof to pull the woman out. He attempted CPR, but she later died at a local hospital.
San Bernardino County was the hardest hit county in California in terms of amount of damage due to the heavy rain at the end of December. County officials put the total damage amount (including public and private property of all types and labor to repair damage) at approximately $97 million. Both state and federal money will be available to help those affected.|Highway 395 at Highway 18 completely flooded with several stalled vehicles. Eastbound Highway 138 just west of LA County line has mud, debris and water across all lanes. Highway 18, west of Sheep Creek road is closed, as well as Koala Road between Rancho and El Mirage, due to flooding.
The Mojave River overflowed its banks due to a combination of heavy rain and emergency release of water from Cedar Spring Dam near Arrowhead. Numerous roads were covered with mud and closed, one bridge was washed out, a broken levee flooded a neighborhood, and three swift water rescues were performed.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in San Bernardino County, California?
160 flood events are recorded in San Bernardino County between 1997 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in San Bernardino County?
The strongest flood on record in San Bernardino County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County, California.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/california/san-bernardino-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.