59
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$61.4M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Essex County, New York: 59 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #475 nationally and #32 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Essex County, New York: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Essex County is the 1990s, when 19 of the county's 59 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 Essex County archive, flash flood makes up 14.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #475 for this hazard and #32 within New York, putting it in the 84.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Essex County with 19 recorded events, while Oct 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 14, 2025 | SANFORD MINES | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 11, 2024 | MORIAH | 0 | $100K |
| Jul 11, 2024 | MORIAH | 0 | $200K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | WITHERBEE | 0 | $200K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | MINEVILLE | 0 | $150K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | BLUE RIDGE | 0 | $100K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | WADHAMS | 0 | $250K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | EUBA MILLS | 0 | $100K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | ELIZABETHTOWN | 0 | $200K |
| Jul 10, 2024 | ST HUBERTS | 0 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from Essex County
- Thunderstorm Wind 221
- Hail 80
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Tropical Storm Irene deposited 3 to 7+ inches of rainfall to Essex county during the morning and afternoon hours. The greatest rainfall amounts and impact were across central and northern Essex county along the eastern slopes of the Adirondacks. Severe flash flooding occurred within the Keene and AuSable River valleys with numerous roads (local and State including Route 3, 9N, 73, 28N), bridges, homes and businesses washed out in towns like Lake Placid, Jay, Keene, AuSable, Wilmington. Local EMs have determined this is the greatest natural disaster in the county.
A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain fell across Essex county during the afternoon of October 31st into the early morning hours of November 1st. These rains fell across previously saturated soils. Between 830 pm and 130 am, three convective rounds of heavy rain showers with observed rainfall of 1/2 to 1 inch per hour, traversed the same areas. Flooding developed quickly as the second round of heavy rain moved across between 1030 pm and Midnight. It was exacerbated with the final round just after midnight creating widespread flash flooding during the early morning hours of November 1st. In addition during the early morning hours of November 1st, the Au Sable River and it's watershed had considerable flooding. More than 5 dozen roads were flooded and closed to traffic with several dozen partially or completely washed out along the eastern foothills of the Adirondacks east toward Lake Champlain from Schroon Lake north to Elizabethtown. Several major roads including Routes 30,8,9N and 73 were impacted. several homes and businesses flooded and damaged as a result of this event.
Runoff from heavy rain and snowmelt caused flash flooding in the town of Moriah NY. Numerous roads were closed due to mudslides, and the Broad Street Bridge in Moriah was undermined and collapsed at approximately 03:00 EST. Later in the day, Titus Road Bridge collapsed at approximately 18:00 EST. In the hamlet of Witherbee, homes were flooded with water flowing through them.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Essex County, New York?
59 flash flood events are recorded in Essex County between 1996 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Essex County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Essex County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Essex 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 Essex County, New York.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-york/essex-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.