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Flood in Rutherford 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.
Rutherford County, North Carolina, has 41 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 18 different years.
September is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 22 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 7.3 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 | Rutherford County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 41 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.3 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 6.3 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | September | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
2Mar
1Apr
1May
6Jun
2Jul
8Aug
4Sep
9Oct
5Nov
0Dec
1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $35M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2021 | Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2018 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2017 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Feb 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jun 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2013 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 2013 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | — | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 2005 | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Jul 2005 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Jul 2005 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Sep 2004 | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Aug 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2003 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Mar 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 31 Jul 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 1998 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | $3.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jan 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
27 Sep 2024 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Rutherford County?
The flash flood of 26 Sep 2024, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $35M; 1 death recorded.
How does Rutherford County compare with North Carolina for flood?
7.3 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.