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Flood in Polk County, Florida
38 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Polk County, Florida, has 38 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 11 different years.
September is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 3 events against 35 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 3,375 flood events recorded in Florida; its 2.1 per 100 square miles compares with 6.3 statewide.
Compared with Florida
| Measure | Polk County | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 38 | 3,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 2.1 | 6.3 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.5 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 22 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | September | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
4Mar
3Apr
2May
0Jun
4Jul
3Aug
4Sep
7Oct
2Nov
1Dec
6
Recorded events
All 38 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug 2015 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Apr 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2005 | Flood | — | $1.6M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Sep 2004 | Flash Flood | — | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Jun 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Jan 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 31 Dec 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $90K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2002 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 2002 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 2002 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2002 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2000 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2000 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2000 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1999 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Sep 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 1998 | Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1998 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1998 | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Mar 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Feb 1998 | Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Feb 1998 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Feb 1998 | Flood | — | $10K | $200K | — | — | County |
| 23 Jan 1998 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Dec 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Dec 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 1997 | Flash Flood | — | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 1997 | Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 1997 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Polk County had?
38 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Polk County?
15 Aug 2015 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Polk County?
The flood of 1 Jul 2005, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.6M.
How does Polk County compare with Florida for flood?
2.1 events per 100 square miles against 6.3 statewide; the county holds 38 of the state's 3,375 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.