44
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$40.8M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Burke County, North Carolina: 44 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #723 nationally and #33 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Burke County, North Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Burke County is the 2010s, when 19 of the county's 44 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 Burke County archive, flash flood makes up 7.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #723 for this hazard and #33 within North Carolina, putting it in the 76.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Burke County with 9 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | RUTHERFORD COLLEGE | 0 | $500K |
| Sep 27, 2024 | JOY | 0 | $40.0M |
| Aug 8, 2024 | ENOLA | 0 | $1K |
| Oct 7, 2021 | ENOLA | 0 | $10K |
| Nov 12, 2020 | CHESTERFIELD | 0 | $10K |
| Oct 29, 2020 | JOY | 0 | $5K |
| Apr 13, 2020 | JOY | 0 | $1K |
| Feb 6, 2020 | BRINDLETOWN | 0 | $25K |
| Jun 9, 2019 | JOY | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 8, 2019 | CALVIN | 0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Burke County
- Thunderstorm Wind 270
- Hail 211
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Stream gauges along the Catawba River indicated flash flooding developed along the portion of the Catawba River in northeast Burke County (Rhodiss Dam and vicinity) after 7 to 13 inches of rain fell across upper much of Burke County over a three-day period. Multiple homes and some structures were inundated due to the river itself, and due to backwater effects into tributaries, including Silver Creek and Lower Creek.
County comms reported a combination of severe urban and small stream flooding resulted in multiple roads closed due to high water after 3-4 inches of rain fell in only a couple of hours. Affected roads included Old Colony Rd at Fiddlers Creek, East Meeting St, and Bethel Rd. A stream gauge also exceeded flood stage on Hunting Creek at South College St. At least one mudslide also occurred.
Powerhouse Road was flooded. A tractor trailer and a number of cars were swept together by flood waters on Causby Road (1 S Glen Alpine). A swift water rescue was reported at Byrd and Conley Roads (5 SW Morganton). Jenkins Road was flooded near Burkemont Road (4 S Morganton). Swift water rescues were also reported along highway 70 and Kathy Road (3 SW Glen Alpine).
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Burke County, North Carolina?
44 flash flood events are recorded in Burke County between 1996 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Burke County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Burke County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Burke 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 Burke County, North Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/north-carolina/burke-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.