Flash floods induced by heavy rainfall occur frequently in China, which cause severe damages or even casualties every year. Flash floods generally occur in small catchments, and therefore were poorly documented. A Database including 963 flash flood events in China is compiled and studied in this study. Analytical results (a) indicate flash flood condition in China; (b) shed light on the spatial-temporal distribution of flash flood under heavy rainfall and (c) detect the characteristics of the 2016 flash flood. In 2016, the deaths due to flash floods were severe and concentrated, accounting for about half of the elderly and children. Hebei and Fujian provinces were most affected by flash floods. The disasters mainly occurred in July and the major types were river floods. Despite the frequent torrential rains, inadequate monitoring and early warning systems made the flash flooding condition even worse in 2016.