<p>The severity of flood events depends on antecedent soil moisture states (ASMs), the mechanisms that generate floods, and the rainfall that triggers them. However, the drivers and mechanisms of catchment resilience to dominant flood-generating mechanisms under different ASM conditions have been less explored. In this study, the drivers and mechanisms of catchment resilience to dominant flood-generating mechanisms under different ASMs are evaluated using hydrometeorological observations from 191 catchments in peninsular India. The results indicate a systematic relationship between catchment resilience, flood seasonality, and catchment location. In addition, the complex interplay among soil properties (% sand, %silt, %clay &amp; porosity), event rainfall characteristics (duration of event wet spell, duration of dry spell before the event wet spell, and transition state of soil moisture from dry spell to event wet spell) and landcover (i.e., fraction of built-up area) drives the catchment resilience to dominant flood generation mechanism under different ASMs. It is found that meteorological variables during the dry spell before the causal wet period (shortwave radiation, relative humidity, windspeed &amp; mean temperature) are the major drivers of spatial variation of ASMs, suggesting the existence of soil moisture-radiation feedback. The study enhances understanding of flood generation mechanisms through the lens of the catchment’s antecedent wetness state, thereby improving the efficiency of flood risk management.</p>