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

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Etymology

Origin of flash flood

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flash flood

The center warned that the combination of a storm surge and tide could flood normally dry areas near the coast in Kauai and Niihau, and a flash flood warning was issued for Kauai on Monday.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

The massive flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday, wiping out entire villages.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Rescuers have pulled two people from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Nepal more than a week after a massive flash flood devastated the Nepal-China border.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 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

A love for these animals wells up in me suddenly, a flash flood, and there it is, solid as an obelisk and viscous as water.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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Related Words

• deluge
• torrent

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