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

At least 1,287 people are known to have died after a flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through villages in a Himalayan valley along border between Nepal and Tibet.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Around 85 U.S. citizens are among the thousands missing after a devastating flash flood hit the border region of Nepal and Tibet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

"The sudden glacial collapse and flash flood is a devastating reminder of how fragile these mountain environments can be," UN climate chief Simon Steill said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

The park service said the flash flood happened around 2:30 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

A rainy season flash flood rolled down the Taedong in July 1998, sweeping away hundreds of dam workers and students.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• deluge
• torrent