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Flood in Orange County, North Carolina
79 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 79 flood events in Orange County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 23 years.
July is the busiest month, with 29 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 67 events against 12 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.5% of the 5,375 flood events recorded in North Carolina; its 19.9 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 | Orange County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 79 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 19.9 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | July | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
6Feb
0Mar
2Apr
3May
9Jun
13Jul
29Aug
5Sep
7Oct
1Nov
1Dec
3
Recorded events
All 79 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $30M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 23 May 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Nov 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2018 | Flood | — | $26M | $5.0M | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2017 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2017 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Dec 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Dec 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2014 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $3.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2012 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2011 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2010 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Aug 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jul 2000 | Flash Flood | — | $6.4M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Orange County had?
79 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 Orange County?
19 Jul 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Orange County?
The flood of 17 Sep 2018, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $26M and crop damage at $5.0M.
How does Orange County compare with North Carolina for flood?
19.9 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 79 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.