Data for: Deglacial runoff events did not simply track mean hydroclimatic state in a Tibetan Plateau catchment

How runoff hazards respond to hydroclimatic mean state and variability remains unclear. Here we reconstruct 28 preserved runoff events spanning 21.7–10.5 thousand years before present from a landslide-dammed lake on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. A Bayesian chronology constrained by 11 optically stimulated luminescence ages propagates dating uncertainty into event-rate estimates. The Younger Dryas has the highest posterior median rate of 7.17 events per thousand years. Higher rates than during Heinrich Stadial 1 persist across tested Bacon configurations, whereas the comparison with the Bølling–Allerød is more model-sensitive. Hulu and Dongshiya–Laomu speleothem oxygen-isotope means during the Younger Dryas lie between those of these two intervals, while submillennial variability persists after detrending. This combination is consistent with hydroclimatic fluctuations contributing to runoff-threshold exceedance, potentially through intense summer rainfall. Sediment supply and preservation provide alternative or interacting explanations. These findings highlight variability and sedimentary processes alongside mean hydroclimatic conditions.