Enter any address in Le Flore County, Oklahoma to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Le Flore County. Between 1994 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 94 flash flood events and 90 flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on March 2, 2023, and general flooding on February 8, 2023, both associated with strong thunderstorm activity.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A experienced an average of 6.3 feet of water depth with an average payout of $27,538. Notably, properties in Zone X, which typically have lower flood risk designations, saw higher average payouts of $61,085 with an average water depth of 19.5 feet, and Zone UNKNOWN also showed significant water depth and payouts. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and UNKNOWN zones, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
51 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Le Flore County, Oklahoma has recorded 184 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 94 flash floods and 90 river or area floods. The county has received 32 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1968–2021)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| 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 | Tornado | May 16, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 5, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Storm | Dec 5, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Tornado | May 18, 2013 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 8, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 3, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 2, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 25, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 5, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 29, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2021 | 10.00K |
Flash Flood — May 19, 2025
Severe thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma along and ahead of a dry line during the afternoon of the 19th, as an upper level disturbance approached the Southern Plains. These thunderstorms moved northeast off the dry line and across portions of eastern Oklahoma during the mid afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere east of the dry line across eastern Oklahoma became very unstable ...
Flash Flood — Apr 4, 2025
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across portions of eastern Oklahoma during the early morning hours of the 4th, as lift associated with an approaching upper level disturbance increased north of a stationary front across northeastern Oklahoma and southern Arkansas. The strongest storms produced large hail up to golf ball size and damaging wind gusts.||Additional rounds of strong to sever...
Flood — Mar 24, 2023
A cold front moved slowly through eastern Oklahoma on the 23rd and 24th, producing widespread showers and thunderstorms. The slow movement of the front, coupled with steering wind flow in the mid and upper levels of the atmosphere parallel to the front, resulted in thunderstorms moving repeatedly over the same areas. Widespread heavy rainfall from three to six inches fell across portions of sou...
Flood — Feb 8, 2023
A cold front moved through much of eastern Oklahoma on the 7th, and became nearly stationary across southeastern Oklahoma and west central Arkansas through the 8th. This front was the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the region. The first round occurred from the evening hours of the 7th through the early morning hours of the 8th, and the second round occurred from the mi...
Flood — Mar 3, 2023
Thunderstorms developed across southeastern Oklahoma during the midday hours of the 2nd, north of a warm front over Texas. Another round of thunderstorms developed during the evening hours as the warm front moved northward into the area, and an upper level low pressure system approached. The showers and thunderstorms moved east of the area during the morning of the 3rd, after producing widespre...
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 Le Flore 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 Le Flore 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.