75
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
120
Direct injuries
$1.1M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Karnes County, Texas: 75 recorded events between 1996 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #299 nationally and #59 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Karnes County, Texas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Karnes County is the 2000s, when 43 of the county's 75 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 Karnes County archive, flash flood makes up 41.9% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #299 for this hazard and #59 within Texas, putting it in the 90.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Karnes County with 17 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 0 | 70 | $200K |
| Oct 18, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 0 | 50 | $100K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2023 | ECLETO | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2023 | GILLETT | 0 | $0 |
| May 13, 2023 | KARNES CITY | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 14, 2021 | ECLETO | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | KENEDY | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | KENEDY | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2016 | GILLETT | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 14, 2016 | RUNGE | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2015 | KARNES CITY | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2015 | BURNELL | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Karnes County
- Hail 43
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The area of heaviest rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Erin in South Central Texas began in Karnes County. General rainfall over the county ranged from 3 to 5 inches with up to 7 inches near Helena. Most of the roads in Karnes County were closed Thursday afternoon, including FM887, SH119, and US80.
Heavy rainfall associated with Claudette produced general 1 to 2 inch amounts with isolated totals between 5 and 6 inches over Karnes County. Flash flooding developed over the county during the evening and ended near midnight.
Late morning and early afternoon rainfall across Karnes County averaged near 2 inches with isolated totals in the county to 3 inches . Due to the previous day's heavy rainfall, soils were quickly saturated again. Brief flash flooding developed in the mid afternoon over low water crossings.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Karnes County, Texas?
75 flash flood events are recorded in Karnes County between 1996 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Karnes County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Karnes County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Karnes 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 Karnes County, Texas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/texas/karnes-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.