Home / Storms / North Carolina
Debris Flow — Polk, North Carolina
May 18, 2018 · NOAA Storm Events record
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
0
Property damage
$500K
Area
Polk
Event narrative (NOAA)
EM reported numerous small to large slope failures developed along the Highway 176 corridor in Polk County after as much as 8 inches of rain fell across the western part of the county in just a few hours. Around 30 homes were damaged, with a couple destroyed. One 59-year-old woman died when her garage collapsed as she was trying to flee her home. Her husband was swept into Highway 176 but survived with mostly minor injuries.
Other notable debris flow events in North Carolina
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.