Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Cimarron County, Oklahoma. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from severe summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Cimarron County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 11 flash flood events compared to 5 general flood events.
Storms moving into the Oklahoma Panhandle from neighboring New Mexico frequently drive these conditions. For example, an upper-level disturbance caused thunderstorms to back build over the area in June 2019, producing flooding alongside large hail and a landspout. Another event in July 2020 occurred when a broken line of thunderstorms entered the northwest corner of the panhandle during the afternoon and progressed southeastward, producing both damaging winds and flooding.
Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents should monitor these patterns, particularly when evaluating properties vulnerable to sudden storm-driven runoff and back-building weather systems.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6 NOAA storm reports from Cimarron County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Oklahoma flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 2001.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Jun 14, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 28, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jun 13, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 28, 2010 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Sep 12, 2008 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jul 19, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jun 2, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Aug 21, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 7, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2006 | $28,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 20, 2002 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 1997 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 1997 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jul 19, 2020. A broken line of thunderstorms entered the northwest corner of the Oklahoma Panhandle during the afternoon and progressed southeastward through the evening. Within the moderately unstable and weakly sheared environment, one storm in the western Panhandle produced damaging winds and flooding.
Flood · Jun 2, 2019. An upper level disturbance generated a multi cell cluster of thunderstorms over parts of northeastern New Mexico. Favorable winds with low level moisture and instability in the central and western Oklahoma Panhandle allowed thunderstorms to maintain their strength as they moved east from New Mexico into the area. Large hail up to golf balls and even a landspout was reported in Cimarron County, OK. Some thunderstor…
Flood · Aug 21, 2018. A disturbance moved over a weak ridge over the Texas/New Mexico border by the afternoon of the 21st. High instability and moderate wind shear set the stage for thunderstorms developing over the high terrain to the west to be maintained over the northwestern Panhandles in a favorable environment. With better organized ingredients plus the loss of daytime heating, cellular thunderstorms across New Mexico and Color…
Flash Flood · Aug 7, 2013. Discrete thunderstorms and a squall line moved across the Oklahoma Panhandle during the evening and overnight hours of the 7th. These severe storms not only had ample instability to fuel them but also a marginally above average moist atmosphere. The 6 PM CST upper air soundings out of Amarillo, Texas and Dodge City, Kansas showed Precipitable Water values between 1.24 inches and 1.40 inches. This is around the cli…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Cimarron County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.