flash flood

American  

noun

flash floods plural

1. a sudden and destructive rush of water down a narrow gully or over a sloping surface, caused by heavy rainfall.

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flash flood British  

noun

1. a sudden short-lived torrent, usually caused by a heavy storm, esp in desert regions

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flash flood Scientific  

/ flăsh /

1. A sudden, localized flood of great volume and short duration, typically caused by unusually heavy rain in a semiarid area. Flash floods can reach their peak volume in a matter of a few minutes and often carry large loads of mud and rock fragments.

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Synonym Usage

See flood.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flash floods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of flash flood

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flash flood

The Christian camp in Hunt, Texas, has faced intense regulatory scrutiny and wrongful-death lawsuits from families of the victims since the flash flood July 4, 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

Authorities warn that the same storm system is now threatening other islands, with flash flood alerts and evacuation warnings issued for parts of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2026

Honolulu Department of Emergency Management has issued multiple flash flood warnings and urged residents to move to higher ground and avoid flooded areas.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026

The state-owned electricity company Perusahaan Listrik Negara said in a statement Wednesday that it had deployed personnel to gradually restore power supplies after a flash flood caused the collapse of a transmission tower.

From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025

Like a flash flood, it came rushing back, threatening to overwhelm me.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• deluge
• torrent