This study developed a flood index which evaluates runoff characteristics. Runoff characteristics expressed in a hydrograph were reflected in the flood index in the form of characteristic factors such as a rising curve gradient, a peak discharge, a flood response time, and a flood discharge volume prior to peak. This study applied the standardization method to estimate the relative severity of the characteristic factors by transforming the distribution of characteristic factors into the standard normal distribution. The flood index developed in this study is a comprehensive flood index (CFI) which makes up for the weak points of a flash flood index (FFI) in determining relative severities. The CFI was applied to Han River basin and Selma River basin, and was compared with the FFI based on the correlation analysis and the regression analysis. The CFI could comprehensively evaluate flood runoff characteristics because the CFI is not dominated by a specific characteristic factor, and the CFI could explain more efficiently the relationship between rainfall and runoff than the FFI.