71
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$1.7M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Cherokee County, Oklahoma: 71 recorded events between 1996 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #328 nationally and #13 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Cherokee County, Oklahoma: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Cherokee County is the 2000s, when 29 of the county's 71 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 Cherokee County archive, flash flood makes up 9.4% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #328 for this hazard and #13 within Oklahoma, putting it in the 89.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for flash flood in Cherokee County with 22 recorded events, while Aug 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 1996 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 4 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2008 | PEGGS | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 5, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $149K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2024 | PEGGS | 0 | $0 |
| May 27, 2020 | MELVIN | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2020 | MELVIN | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | LOST CITY | 0 | $0 |
| May 20, 2017 | TAHLEQUAH ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | COOKSON | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | TAHLEQUAH | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | TAHLEQUAH | 0 | $0 |
| May 12, 2016 | COOKSON TENKILLER AR | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 27, 2015 | LOST CITY | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind 309
- Hail 275
- Tornado 52
- Flood 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain caused Highway 82 to be flooded at Peggs and several rural roads to be flooded across the northern part of Cherokee County. A woman drove a vehicle into a flooded low water crossing and the vehicle became stranded. A two year old girl was washed downstream and drowned as the mother tried to get her out of the vehicle.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused numerous rural roads around the county to be flooded. The flooding caused substantial damage to gravel roads and bridges. One of the major roads which was flooded was Highway 82 north of Tahlequah. Street flooding was also reported in Tahlequah. In addition to the flooding or roads, one mobile home was flooded just east of Tahlequah.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused extensive flash flooding over the northern part of Cherokee County during the evening and overnight hours. Rainfall totals in this area were in the 3 to 4 inch range with a total of 3.99 inches at Kansas in a neighboring part of Delaware County. Numerous roads were flooded and damaged. One stream on which the flooding was particularly bad was Spring Creek. On it a bridge near Teresita was washed out.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Cherokee County, Oklahoma?
71 flash flood events are recorded in Cherokee County between 1996 and 2024, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Cherokee County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Cherokee County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, Oklahoma.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oklahoma/cherokee-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.