2,775
Recorded events
53
Counties affected
68
Direct deaths
$1.4B
Property damage
California flash flood history: 2,775 recorded events across 53 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
California flash flood history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 1,097 reported flash flood events across California. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most flash flood events in California
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | San Bernardino County | 836 | 21 | $190.9M | 1996–2026 |
| #2 | Riverside County | 295 | 3 | $179.5M | 1997–2025 |
| #3 | San Diego County | 256 | 5 | $51.6M | 1998–2025 |
| #4 | Inyo County | 231 | 2 | $568.5M | 1997–2026 |
| #5 | Los Angeles County | 220 | 7 | $1.3M | 1998–2026 |
| #6 | Kern County | 134 | 0 | $8.0M | 1997–2025 |
| #7 | Imperial County | 102 | 2 | $34.1M | 2000–2025 |
| #8 | Ventura County | 83 | 1 | $0 | 1998–2026 |
| #9 | Santa Barbara County | 75 | 6 | $2.0M | 1998–2026 |
| #10 | Orange County | 58 | 2 | $64.7M | 1997–2025 |
| #11 | Sonoma County | 40 | 1 | $8.0M | 1996–2019 |
| #12 | Santa Cruz County | 33 | 1 | $21.6M | 1996–2017 |
| #13 | San Mateo County | 32 | 1 | $808K | 1997–2026 |
| #14 | Fresno County | 32 | 0 | $73K | 1998–2023 |
| #15 | Monterey County | 30 | 0 | $11.4M | 1997–2024 |
| #16 | San Luis Obispo County | 29 | 2 | $0 | 1998–2025 |
| #17 | Alameda County | 27 | 0 | $701K | 1996–2025 |
| #18 | Santa Clara County | 24 | 0 | $6K | 1997–2017 |
| #19 | Tulare County | 20 | 0 | $765K | 1997–2021 |
| #20 | Siskiyou County | 20 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2023 |
| #21 | Marin County | 19 | 0 | $5.6M | 1997–2017 |
| #22 | Napa County | 14 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2017 |
| #23 | Tuolumne County | 13 | 1 | $43.0M | 1996–2023 |
| #24 | Shasta County | 12 | 4 | $7.1M | 1997–2025 |
| #25 | Placer County | 12 | 0 | $208K | 1997–2019 |
Significant events
Deadliest flash flood events in California
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 1998 | Los Angeles County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Nov 8, 2022 | San Bernardino County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Jan 3, 1997 | Yuba County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Aug 26, 2003 | San Bernardino County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Oct 26, 2014 | Shasta County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Feb 23, 1998 | Santa Barbara County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 22, 2018 | Mariposa County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | San Diego County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 31, 2021 | Imperial County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Mar 22, 2005 | Santa Barbara County | — | 2 | 0 |