Hard ground, not heavy rain, is why spring floods.

Yes. Spring rains flood more because the ground can’t absorb water the way it does in summer.

In winter, the ground freezes or gets compacted. Snow melt leaves the soil saturated. Then spring rains arrive — often steady, prolonged, not the short downpours of summer. There’s nowhere for the water to go. In urban areas it’s even worse: pavement and packed dirt don’t absorb anything.

Summer storms are intense but usually short. The ground is dry and soft, so it soaks up a surprising amount. Spring is the opposite — slow rain on hard ground equals runoff and flooding.

This is why flood warnings hit hardest in March and April, not July.