2 flood insurance claims·$26,697 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
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 Coal 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 storms and slow-moving weather systems dominates the flood risk profile in Coal County, Oklahoma, accounting for 18 out of 21 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside 3 standard floods and 1 recorded fatality.
Recent events illustrate this recurring hazard. A strong storm system on January 10, 2020, brought unseasonably warm air, severe hail, and localized flooding. Later that year, slow-moving thunderstorms along a stationary frontal boundary produced numerous flooding reports across central and southern Oklahoma on September 1, 2020. Outflow boundaries from previous storms similarly triggered flooding events, such as those recorded on May 1, 2019.
Federal insurance claims data reflect limited historical payouts with specific depth profiles, including an average payout of $8,467 with an average recorded water depth of 3 inches in Zone A, and an average payout of $18,229 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches in Zone UNKNOWN. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within FEMA Zone A and unmapped or unknown zones, as these areas have experienced documented claims and are directly susceptible to flash flooding driven by severe local thunderstorms.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
27 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 30, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 16, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 5, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 18, 2013 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jan 10, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 1, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 21, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2016 | — |
| Flood | May 10, 2015 | $20,000 · 1 killed |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jan 10, 2020. A strong storm system brought an unseasonably warm and moist airmass into the area. Multiple reports of severe hail and flooding were received along with a tornado on the 10th.
Flash Flood · Sep 1, 2020. Slow moving thunderstorms along a nearly stationary frontal boundary led to numerous flooding reports during the morning of the 1st across central and southern Oklahoma.
Flash Flood · May 1, 2019. Outflow boundaries from previous days storms provided focus for thunderstorm development with a variety of severe weather on the 1st.
Flash Flood · Sep 21, 2018. Abundant moisture from the gulf and a remnant tropical system converged with a front coming in from northwest early on the morning of the 21st resulting in widespread heavy rain and numerous reports of flash flooding across central and south central Oklahoma and western north Texas through the day.
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 Coal 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.