FloodZoneMap.org

Real U.S. Flood Stories

First-hand accounts of 71,186 recorded U.S. flood events, written by National Weather Service meteorologists at the time and pulled from the NOAA Storm Events Database. No rewrites — just the prose, the people, and what happened.

Hurricane (Typhoon)9 deaths$2.0B damage

Harris, TX · Sep 12, 2008

The eye of Hurricane Ike moved ashore in Galveston County near the city of Galveston. At landfall, Ike had a central pressure of 951.6 mb, as measured at Galveston Pleasure Pier, and a maximum estimated storm surge of 17 feet over portions of Chambers County and the Bolivar…

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Hurricane (Typhoon)140 deaths$1.8B damage

Lower St. Bernard, LA · Aug 28, 2005

Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous…

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Flash Flood2 deaths$50.0M damage

Comal, TX · Oct 17, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Flash Flood61 deaths$200.0M damage

Kerr, TX · Jul 4, 2025

Tropical Storm Barry moved into and dissipated over eastern Mexico. Moist air from the remnants of Barry moved northward into Texas. Precipitable water values over South-Central Texas increased to near record levels.

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Hurricane (Typhoon)60 deaths$7.0B damage

Coastal Lee, FL · Sep 28, 2022

Hurricane Ian formed in the central Caribbean Sea on September 23 and moved through the western Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic making four separate landfalls.

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Flash Flood11 deaths$8.0M damage

Bexar, TX · Oct 17, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Flash Flood46 deaths

Kerr, TX · Jul 4, 2025

Tropical Storm Barry moved into and dissipated over eastern Mexico. Moist air from the remnants of Barry moved northward into Texas. Precipitable water values over South-Central Texas increased to near record levels.

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Flash Flood6 deaths$20.0M damage

Caldwell, TX · Oct 17, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Flash Flood4 deaths$5.0M damage

Guadalupe, TX · Oct 17, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Flash Flood38 deaths$10.0B damage

Harris, TX · Aug 26, 2017

Harvey made landfall as a category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas during the evening of August 25th. The storm then weakened to a tropical storm and slowed, looping back and tracking over SE Texas then back over the Gulf of Mexico making a second landfall along the Louisiana…

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Flood$30.0M damage

De Witt, TX · Oct 18, 1998

Flooding along the Guadalupe RiverThe Guadalupe River at New Braunfels crested at 35.1 feet, with flood stage at 7 feet. This was over three feet higher than the disastrous flood of May 12, 1972.

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Flash Flood$5.0M damage

De Witt, TX · Oct 18, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Flash Flood$500K damage

Gonzales, TX · Oct 18, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Hurricane (Typhoon)27 deaths$850.0M damage

Lower Jefferson, LA · Aug 28, 2005

Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous…

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Coastal Flood23 deaths

Richmond (staten Is.), NY · Oct 29, 2012

Post Tropical Storm Sandy was the costliest natural disaster in Southeast New York.||Tropical Storm Sandy formed in the Caribbean Sea on October 22.

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Flash Flood$3.0M damage

Lavaca, TX · Oct 18, 1998

The Great October FloodIn advance of a very slow-moving upper level trough of low pressure over West Texas, a cold front drifted slowly southeastward into West Central Texas during the evening of Friday, October 16th.

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Tropical Storm22 deaths$5.0B damage

Harris, TX · Jun 5, 2001

Tropical Storm Allison formed in the northwest Gulf of Mexico during the early afternoon of June 5th, 80 miles south of Galveston. Allison moved northward, making landfall on the west end of Galveston Island between midnight and 1am on the 6th, less than 12 hours after forming.

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Flash Flood20 deaths$9.0M damage

Montgomery, AR · Jun 11, 2010

A slow-moving upper level low pressure system was over east Texas on the 9th, over northeast Texas on the 10th, and over Arkansas on the 11th.

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Hurricane (Typhoon)21 deaths$6.0B damage

Coastal Bay, FL · Oct 10, 2018

Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle.

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Tropical Storm21 deaths

Metro Broward County, FL · Sep 9, 2017

Major Hurricane Irma made landfall in Southwest Florida on Marco Island as a Category 3 hurricane around 330 PM EDT on September 10th. The storm traveled north through southwest Florida through the evening.

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Flash Flood9 deaths$40.0M damage

Val Verde, TX · Aug 23, 1998

By nightfall on the 23rd, the central low pressure associated with the remainder of Charley had indeed stalled near Del Rio. A second seige of devastating rain fell between 9 pm and 2 am, producing over 10 inches by midnight.

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Flash Flood19 deaths$100.0M damage

Humphreys, TN · Aug 21, 2021

The deadliest flash flood to ever affect Middle Tennessee, and one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the state, struck the region on Saturday, August 21, 2021.

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Flood$5.0M damage

Guadalupe, TX · Oct 17, 1998

Flooding along the San Antonio River, Cibolo Creek and Geronimo CreekIn Bexar County, the San Antonio River begins just below Olmos Dam where it merges with spring flow.

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Flash Flood16 deaths$40.0M damage

Greenbrier, WV · Jun 23, 2016

One of the worst flash floods in the history of West Virginia occurred on June 23, 2016 as extreme rainfall occurred across portions of Greenbrier and several adjacent counties.

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