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Flood in Vance County, North Carolina
18 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.
Vance County, North Carolina, has 18 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 11 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 5,375 flood events recorded in North Carolina; its 7.1 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 | Vance County | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 18 | 5,375 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.1 | 11.1 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.3 | 5.1 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 186 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | May | September | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
2Apr
0May
5Jun
2Jul
1Aug
3Sep
4Oct
1Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2020 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2020 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 26 Aug 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Sep 1996 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Vance County had?
18 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 Vance County?
11 Aug 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Vance County?
The flash flood of 8 Oct 2016, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $50K.
How does Vance County compare with North Carolina for flood?
7.1 events per 100 square miles against 11.1 statewide; the county holds 18 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.