Enter any address in Kay County, Oklahoma to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe weather events is the dominant flood character in Kay County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 75 flash flood events, compared to 14 general flood events. Recent examples include widespread flooding on October 24, 2023, following heavy rainfall across northern Oklahoma, and a significant severe weather outbreak on April 27, 2024, which brought tornadoes and associated flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with 231 claims filed and an average payout of $9,160 for water depths averaging 4.3 feet. Properties in Zone X also show significant claims, with Zone X_UNSHADED having the highest average payout at $10,588, despite a lower average water depth of 0.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
8 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Kay County, Oklahoma has recorded 89 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 75 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 36 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Tornado | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Oct 26, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Flooding | Flood | May 7, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 7, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 30, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 26, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 27, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2019 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2019 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2019 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 11, 2017 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2017 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 27, 2024
A widespread, long-duration and historic severe weather and tornado outbreak occurred from the late morning through late evening on the 27th. In all, 32 tornadoes affected portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area, the third most in a single day during the period of reliable record. This included six significant (EF-2+) tornadoes and one violent (EF-4) tornado that struck Marietta (Love County)....
Flash Flood — Oct 24, 2023
A corridor of heavy rainfall, centered from southwest into north-central Oklahoma, occurred from the morning into early evening of the 24th. Widespread one to nearly four-inch rainfall totals were observed/reported during the period, with the highest totals located across far northern Oklahoma (Kay County). This resulted in sporadic occurrences of (flash) flooding.
Flash Flood — May 24, 2019
Scattered supercells merged into a linear system that produced a variety of severe weather on the 24th.
Flood — May 21, 2019
An extremely unstable environment led to widespread severe weather across Texas and Oklahoma on the 20th into the morning of the 21st.
Flash Flood — May 20, 2019
An extremely unstable environment led to widespread severe weather across Texas and Oklahoma on the 20th into the morning of the 21st.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Kay County, Oklahoma:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Kay County, Oklahoma that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.