History of Flash flood warning in Timeline

A flash flood warning is issued by weather forecasting agencies to alert the public of imminent or occurring flash floods. Flash floods are sudden and violent, typically caused by heavy rain or dam breaks. Contributing factors include rainfall intensity and duration, topography, soil conditions, and ground cover.

August 27, 2017: Flash Flood Emergency Issued During Hurricane Harvey

On August 27, 2017, as Hurricane Harvey brought torrential rain to southeast Texas, the NWS issued a "Flash Flood Emergency for Catastrophic Life Threatening Flooding."

September 10, 2017: Flash Flood Emergency Issued During Hurricane Irma

On September 10, 2017, the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for life-threatening storm surge because of Hurricane Irma in southwestern Florida at the eye landfall.

February 6, 2020: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Tazewell County, Virginia

On February 6, 2020, the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Tazewell County, Virginia due to a major storm moving through the area which caused the Clinch River to rise to its highest crest in 40 years.

May 20, 2020: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Tittabawassee River

On May 20, 2020, the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the Tittabawassee River in Midland County, Michigan due to multiple dam failures causing the river to overflow and reach its highest crest since 1986.

July 6, 2020: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Tacony Creek and Frankford Creek

On July 6, 2020, the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Tacony Creek and Frankford Creek, the former situated along Montgomery County and North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the latter along Philadelphia's Frankford neighborhood.

September 1, 2021: First Ever Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Major Northeast Cities

On September 1, 2021, the NWS issued a first ever Flash Flood Emergency for New York City, Philadelphia, Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut, and most of Central New Jersey. This region stretches over 200 miles, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida transitioned and intensified into a post-tropical cyclone causing torrential rains. Some areas reported up to 10 inches of rain in less than an hour.

July 28, 2022: Flash Flood Emergencies in Eastern Kentucky

On July 28, 2022, the NWS issued several Flash Flood Emergencies in eastern Kentucky for catastrophic and deadly flooding.

March 27, 2023: Flash Flood Emergency Issued Due to Dam Break in Spaulding County, Georgia

On March 27, 2023, the NWS issued a Flash Flood Emergency for a dam break on the Head's Creek Reservoir in Spaulding County, Georgia. A statement was later posted on Twitter.

September 27, 2024: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Metro Atlanta During Hurricane Helene

On September 27, 2024, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Metro Atlanta as Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to the area.

October 9, 2024: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Tampa Bay and Big Bend Areas During Hurricane Milton

On October 9, 2024, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for several counties in the Tampa Bay and Big Bend areas of Florida as Hurricane Milton posed life-threatening flooding to a large portion of the West Coast.

April 2025: Flash Flood Emergency Issued During Severe Weather Event

During April 2025, a warning containing both the "Flash Flood Emergency" wording and the "Particularly Dangerous Situation" wording, was issued during the severe weather event that impacted parts of the central and mid-southern United States.

July 14, 2025: Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Union and Somerset Counties, New Jersey

On July 14, 2025, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Union and Somerset counties in New Jersey as a slow-moving thunderstorm caused life-threatening flooding to Plainfield and nearby areas in the Raritan Valley.

August 8, 2025: Fatalities Confirmed from Central Texas Flooding

As of August 8, 2025, at least 135 people have been confirmed dead from the catastrophic flooding in central Texas that occurred from July 4-7, 2025, caused by a slow-moving mesoscale convective complex, particularly in Kerr County.