States › North Carolina › Polk County › Flood
Flood in Polk County, North Carolina
37 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 37 flood events in Polk County, North Carolina, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 15 years.
July is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 23 events against 14 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 5,375 flood events recorded in North Carolina; its 15.6 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 | Polk County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 37 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 15.6 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 18.8 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | July | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
3Mar
0Apr
0May
6Jun
1Jul
9Aug
1Sep
9Oct
1Nov
1Dec
3
Recorded events
All 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $15M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Jan 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2023 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Dec 2018 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2018 | Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Dec 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Dec 2015 | Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2013 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Sep 2009 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $7K | $500K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $900K | $900K | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Sep 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 3 Feb 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jan 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Polk County had?
37 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?
27 Sep 2024 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Polk County?
The flash flood of 27 Sep 2024, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $15M; 1 death recorded.
How does Polk County compare with North Carolina for flood?
15.6 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 37 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.