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Flood in Chatham County, North Carolina
41 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.
NCEI records 41 flood events in Chatham County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 18 years.
July is the busiest month, with 12 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 24 events against 17 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 5,375 flood events recorded in North Carolina; its 6.0 per 100 square miles compares with 11.1 statewide.
NCEI attributes 3 deaths in the county to floods and flash floods.
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | Chatham County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 41 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.0 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 3 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | July | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
2Mar
2Apr
1May
1Jun
3Jul
12Aug
9Sep
7Oct
2Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Aug 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $1.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2021 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2018 | Flood | — | $6.3M | $20M | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Sep 2012 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jul 2012 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2011 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2010 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Mar 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Aug 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 Feb 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Jan 1998 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Chatham County had?
41 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 Chatham County?
6 Aug 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Chatham County?
The flood of 17 Sep 2018, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $6.3M and crop damage at $20M.
How does Chatham County compare with North Carolina for flood?
6.0 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 41 of the state's 5,375 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.