flash flood

noun

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

flash flood

noun

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

flash flood

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of flash flood¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Synonym Study

See flood.

Example Sentences

Making matters worse, the Weather Service is predicting heavy rain and flash flooding in southeast Louisiana on Friday, ahead of the storm because of a separate tropical weather disturbance, prompting a flash flood watch.

From Washington Post

Climate change has increased the likelihood of heavy downpours in Western Europe such as the July rains that led to devastating flash floods, researchers affiliated with the World Weather Attribution network report August 23.

From Science News

The rover has spotted layered rocks which were probably built up as the composition of the water body changed, supporting the idea that the lake grew and shrank over time and could even have had flash floods.

From Popular-Science

Just as Goerke was imploring us to ford every stream, the National Weather Service was advising us to take shelter due to flash floods and possible tornadoes.

From Washington Post

The Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch through Thursday night and is predicting one to three inches of rain and the potential for locally higher amounts.

From Washington Post

On day two, a flash flood occurred, damaging much of the filmmaking equipment and ruining the appearance of the location.

From The Daily Beast

What had swept away those bodies might be comparable to a flash flood.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deluge
• torrent