90
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$33.2M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Howard County, Maryland: 90 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #215 nationally and #6 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Howard County, Maryland: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Howard County is the 2010s, when 52 of the county's 90 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 Howard County archive, flash flood makes up 14.8% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #215 for this hazard and #6 within Maryland, putting it in the 93.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Howard County with 21 recorded events, while Feb 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 31, 2016 | ELLICOTT CITY | 0 | 2 | 0 | $22.4M |
| May 27, 2018 | ELLICOTT CITY | 0 | 1 | 0 | $10.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2025 | POPLAR SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2025 | SAVAGE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2025 | SAVAGE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2025 | LISBON | 0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2025 | SIMPSONVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2024 | ELLICOTT CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2022 | CLARKSVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2022 | ELLICOTT CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | FULTON | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | DORSEY | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Howard County
- Thunderstorm Wind 347
- Flood 71
- Hail 55
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Catastrophic flash flooding occurred in Ellicott City as a result of torrential short-term rainfall of 6-10 inches. One person died during a lull in the flooding when he attempted to help another person evacuate and was swept away. Floodwaters on the lower portion of Main Street in the 8000 block reached the bottom of second floors of businesses. In all, dozens of water rescues were performed, most from buildings.
Numerous road closures and water rescues reported countywide. Some of the hardest hit areas were Ellicott City, Savage and Columbia. Three families were rescued by boat from flooded homes. Deer Creek came out of its banks along Sandy Hook Road. Part of the Vollmerhausen Road Bridge was washed away. Harriet Tubman Lane was closed due to high water and mud in Simpsonville.
The stream gage on the Patapsco River at Patapsco Valley State Park rapidly exceeded the 15 foot flood stage during the indicated times. Widespread damage occurred within the park, with a peak level reached of 24.36 feet at 5:45pm EST on May 27th. This is preliminarily the highest value reached at this location since at least 2010.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Howard County, Maryland?
90 flash flood events are recorded in Howard County between 1996 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Howard County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Howard County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Howard 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 Howard County, Maryland.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/maryland/howard-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.