Flash flooding is the deadliest weather hazard in the United States, killing more people each year on average than hurricanes or tornadoes. According to the National Weather Service, floods have caused more than 125 deaths annually over the past few decades — and recent events continue the threat environment.
A devastating flash flood in Texas Hill Country that started Friday, killed at least 43 people, with many others still missing. Torrential rain led to a rapid swell of the Guadalupe River, trapping campers, residents, and motorists. Authorities launched an intensive search operation using helicopters, boats, and drones to locate victims and rescue those stranded in trees and isolated areas cut off by washed-out roads.
Among those missing were children at a girls’ camp along the river. As frantic parents awaited news, emergency responders battled harsh conditions to reach inaccessible sites. The disaster prompted a large-scale federal and state response.
Onlookers walk along the banks of the Guadalupe River in Louise Hays Park, in Kerrville, Texas. (AP Photo)
While the Hill Country flood is still being assessed, it joins a long list of deadly flood events that have marked the last quarter-century of US history. Here’s a look at some of the most lethal floods in the US over the past 25 years:
Hurricane Helene (2024)
Hurricane Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia in September 2024, causing approximately 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Most fatalities resulted from inland flooding rather than winds.
The storm devastated remote Appalachian towns and knocked out power, cell service, and supplies for millions. In North Carolina alone, Helene caused 108 deaths, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005.
Eastern Kentucky floods (2022)
In late July 2022, raging floods in eastern Kentucky claimed 45 lives, as per AP. According to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys, floodwaters destroyed homes, schools, businesses, and critical infrastructure including roads, bridges, and water systems.
Thousands of families lost everything.
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Alonzo Perry Jr. stands amid the devastating May 2, 2002 flash flood that tore through southern West Virginia, northern Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Waverly, Tennessee Flood (2021)
In August 2021, a historic deluge hit Middle Tennessee, killing 20 people in the town of Waverly after more than 17 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, as per AP. Homes were swept away, cars were tossed, and businesses flattened.
The dead included twin babies who were swept from their father’s arms. The scale and speed of the flooding stunned communities.
Hurricane Harvey (2017)
Hurricane Harvey Harvey killed at least 68 people in 2017. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas in August 2017 as a Category 4 storm. It stalled over the Gulf Coast, dumping several feet of rain on Houston and surrounding areas.
According to a National Hurricane Center report, Harvey killed at least 68 people, with all but three deaths directly attributed to freshwater flooding. The storm damaged over 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damages.
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina: Then and Now
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West Virginia floods
A rainstorm in June 2016 that initially seemed harmless turned catastrophic in West Virginia, trapping dozens overnight and leaving 23 people dead across the state, reported AP.
Superstorm Sandy (2012)
Superstorm Sandy damage in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Superstorm Sandy, a rare convergence of a hurricane and other storms, struck the eastern US in October 2012, killing 147 people — 72 of them in the US, according to the National Hurricane Center.
More than 110 deaths were due to drowning, said Tyler Roys. Sandy devastated New York and New Jersey, flooding subways and knocking out power to millions.
Mississippi river basin floods (2011)
In 2011, heavy rainfall and an unusually large snowmelt led to widespread flooding in the Mississippi River Basin. Flash floods caused 24 deaths across Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee in April and May, according to the National Weather Service.
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Hurricane Ike (2008)
Hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast in September 2008, generating a 20-foot storm surge in Galveston and dropping over 4 feet of rain on Houston.
Damage from Hurricane Ike in Bolivar Peninsula, Texas. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The hurricane destroyed thousands of vehicles and left hundreds of thousands with flood-damaged homes. Ike was responsible for over 100 deaths, many of them due to flooding, as per AP.
Hurricane Katrina (2005)
The deadliest flood disaster in modern US history, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. When levees failed in New Orleans, entire neighborhoods were submerged. Residents were rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops.
A sunken house in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Katrina killed nearly 1,400 people and caused an estimated $200 billion in damages, as per AP, making it both the deadliest and costliest storm in US history.
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Tropical Storm Allison (2001)
Tropical Storm Allison caused 41 deaths, mostly from flooding after it dumped 40 inches of rain across Texas and Louisiana in June 2001. The storm’s remnants lingered for days, overwhelming Houston’s infrastructure and leaving thousands stranded.
(With inputs from AP)
