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Flood in McDowell County, North Carolina
59 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.
McDowell County, North Carolina, has 59 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
August is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 45 events against 14 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 5,375 flood events recorded in North Carolina; its 13.4 per 100 square miles compares with 11.1 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to floods and flash floods.
Compared with North Carolina
| Measure | McDowell County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 59 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 13.4 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 13.2 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | August | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
3Mar
1Apr
2May
10Jun
2Jul
4Aug
11Sep
10Oct
11Nov
1Dec
1
Recorded events
All 59 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2024 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $100M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2024 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2021 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Oct 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2020 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2020 | Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 2018 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2018 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 2017 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Oct 2017 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2017 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2015 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2013 | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2011 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jul 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $6.0M | $1.0M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 15 Jun 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2003 | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Apr 2003 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Jan 1998 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jan 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has McDowell County had?
59 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 McDowell County?
1 Aug 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in McDowell County?
The flash flood of 26 Sep 2024, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $100M; 1 death recorded.
How does McDowell County compare with North Carolina for flood?
13.4 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 59 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.