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Flood in Sampson County, North Carolina
58 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.
Sampson County, North Carolina, has 58 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 22 different years.
August is the busiest month, with 12 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 41 events against 17 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 6.1 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 | Sampson County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 58 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.1 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 9.8 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | August | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
6Jun
10Jul
10Aug
12Sep
12Oct
4Nov
2Dec
1
Recorded events
All 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 2026 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2024 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Dec 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jul 2023 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Nov 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Nov 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2019 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Sep 2018 | Flood | — | $8.2M | $30M | — | — | County |
| 14 Sep 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2016 | Flood | — | $4.1M | $25M | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2014 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Aug 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jun 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Sampson County had?
58 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 Sampson County?
25 May 2026 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Sampson County?
The flood of 17 Sep 2018, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $8.2M and crop damage at $30M.
How does Sampson County compare with North Carolina for flood?
6.1 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 58 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.