The worst flood years in the US record, by two measures
The answer depends on the measure. By flood insurance claims since 1978, 2005 is the worst, with 276,670. By river gauges reaching major flood, 2011 is, with 409. Coastal storm years lead the first and river flood years the second.
Claims by year
Flood insurance claims by year, thousands
| 2005 | 276,670 | $18 billion | 171 |
| 2012 | 175,519 | $9.7 billion | 129 |
| 2017 | 145,017 | $11 billion | 337 |
| 2024 | 102,018 | $8.8 billion | 286 |
| 2008 | 96,327 | $3.5 billion | 353 |
| 2011 | 95,826 | $2.4 billion | 409 |
| 2016 | 85,363 | $4.5 billion | 294 |
| 1998 | 80,968 | $873 million | 219 |
| 1995 | 79,309 | $1.3 billion | 158 |
| 1979 | 78,952 | $448 million | 233 |
| 2004 | 75,339 | $2.2 billion | 235 |
| 1999 | 67,954 | $753 million | 139 |
| 1996 | 66,714 | $807 million | 315 |
| 1983 | 61,511 | $399 million | 126 |
| 1992 | 61,002 | $704 million | 80 |
| 2022 | 60,138 | $5.3 billion | 123 |
| 2001 | 54,245 | $1.3 billion | 145 |
| 1980 | 49,906 | $219 million | 84 |
| 1989 | 47,741 | $654 million | 105 |
| 2003 | 47,327 | $777 million | 131 |
| 2021 | 46,617 | $2.0 billion | 166 |
| 1985 | 45,127 | $329 million | 170 |
| 1993 | 45,006 | $644 million | 290 |
| 2018 | 42,508 | $1.6 billion | 286 |
| 1997 | 37,913 | $517 million | 269 |
| 1982 | 37,821 | $178 million | 181 |
| 2010 | 37,543 | $772 million | 263 |
| 2009 | 37,375 | $774 million | 217 |
| 1991 | 36,104 | $350 million | 125 |
| 2019 | 35,080 | $1.5 billion | 405 |
| 2015 | 34,514 | $1.0 billion | 289 |
| 2002 | 34,415 | $432 million | 133 |
| 1984 | 34,248 | $225 million | 116 |
| 1978 | 33,823 | $141 million | 114 |
| 2020 | 33,010 | $930 million | 163 |
| 2006 | 29,562 | $640 million | 171 |
| 1994 | 28,487 | $410 million | 146 |
| 2007 | 28,216 | $612 million | 191 |
| 1981 | 27,935 | $117 million | 73 |
| 2013 | 23,863 | $491 million | 222 |
| 2000 | 23,167 | $251 million | 53 |
| 2023 | 21,667 | $980 million | 135 |
| 1990 | 18,889 | $165 million | 220 |
| 2014 | 18,723 | $381 million | 129 |
| 1987 | 17,077 | $96.4 million | 126 |
| 1986 | 16,520 | $116 million | 171 |
| 2025 | 13,133 | $628 million | 180 |
| 1988 | 11,219 | $49.4 million | 20 |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).