238
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
32
Direct injuries
$30.8M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Richland County, South Carolina: 238 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #24 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Richland County, South Carolina: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Richland County is the 2010s, when 132 of the county's 238 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 Richland County archive, flash flood makes up 16.8% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #24 for this hazard and #2 within South Carolina, putting it in the 99.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for flash flood in Richland County with 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 2015 | WOODLAND TERRACE | 0 | 2 | 20 | $10.0M |
| Oct 7, 2015 | (MMT)MC ENTIRE ANG | 0 | 2 | 5 | $100K |
| Oct 4, 2015 | CAPITOL VIEW | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20K |
| Oct 4, 2015 | DENTSVILLE | 0 | 1 | 1 | $15K |
| Oct 4, 2015 | PERRY | 0 | 1 | 1 | $100K |
| Oct 4, 2015 | DENNY TERRACE | 0 | 1 | 1 | $800K |
| Oct 4, 2015 | ST ANDREWS | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20K |
| May 30, 2020 | CAPITOL VIEW | 0 | 0 | 2 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2025 | OLYMPIA MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 16, 2025 | ST ANDREWS | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 16, 2025 | EAU CLAIRE | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 2, 2025 | ARTHURTOWN | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 2, 2025 | COLUMBIA | 0 | $5K |
| Aug 2, 2025 | OLYMPIA MILLS | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 14, 2025 | OLYMPIA MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2025 | HORREL HILL | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 14, 2025 | OLYMPIA MILLS | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2025 | COLUMBIA | 0 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Richland County
- Thunderstorm Wind 812
- Hail 231
- Heavy Rain 45
- Tornado 43
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread flooding along Gills Creek through Devine Street…Fort Jackson Blvd…Wildcat Road and Garners Ferry Road area. Numerous water rescues and buildings flooded. One building partially collapsed. The stream gage along Gills Creek was destroyed. Peak stage along Gills Creek determined by USGS from high water marks to be 19.6 feet. Flood Stage is 6.7 feet. 2 Fatalities occurred in this area. One fatality occurred at Gills Creek and Devine Street. The second fatality occurred at Kilbourne Road and Gills Creek. The roadway was flooded due to upstream dam failures and heavy rainfall.
Five railroad repair workers driving along Congaree Road plunged into the water of Cabin Creek because the roadway had been washed out. Sheriffs spokesman said that the barricade was in the wrong lane. The accident occurred at 145 AM EDT on the 7th.
One person drowned in their vehicle when it stalled in flood waters along Sunset Drive near the stream Smith Branch. The person drowned at approximately 654 am EDT. The stream gage just upstream from the fatality crested at 18.93 feet at 0607 am EDT. Flood stage is 9.0 feet.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Richland County, South Carolina?
238 flash flood events are recorded in Richland County between 1996 and 2025, causing 9 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Richland County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Richland County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Richland 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 Richland County, South Carolina.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/south-carolina/richland-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.