Nonvolatile memory devices include support memory cell recovery during operations to erase blocks of nonvolatile (e.g., flash) memory cells. A nonvolatile memory system includes a flash memory device and a memory controller electrically coupled to the flash memory device. The memory controller is configured to control memory cell recovery operations within the flash memory device by issuing a first instruction(s) to the flash memory device that causes erased memory cells in the block of memory to become at least partially programmed memory cells and then issuing a second instruction(s) to the flash memory device that causes the at least partially programmed memory cells become fully erased.