Enter any address in Osage County, Oklahoma to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Osage County. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 69 flash flood events compared to 15 general flood events. For example, heavy rainfall from severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding on May 27, 2021, with some areas experiencing repeated storms over the same locations. Additionally, widespread heavy rainfall from March 13, 2021, resulted in moderate flooding across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $9,844 and an average water depth of 1.2 feet. Interestingly, properties in Zone X, which are typically considered to have a lower flood risk, have had higher average payouts of $22,428, despite a similar average water depth of 1.1 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X who may not have flood insurance, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
23 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Osage County, Oklahoma has recorded 84 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 69 flash floods and 15 river or area floods. The county has received 42 federal disaster declarations, 7 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1971–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Rattlesnake Fire | Fire | Feb 19, 2026 |
| North Road Fire | Fire | Oct 29, 2024 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 13, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 23, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 22, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 22, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 21, 2019 | 150.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2019 | 500.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 29, 2025
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed into portions of eastern Oklahoma during the morning hours of the 29th, along and ahead of a cold front moving into the area. Weak instability and strong wind shear combined to allow the storms to become organized, with the strongest producing several tornadoes, large hail up to golf ball size, and damaging wind gusts.
Flash Flood — May 27, 2021
Severe thunderstorms developed across eastern Oklahoma during the afternoon of the 27th, near an outflow boundary from previous storms, and ahead of a cold front. These storms eventually organized into a line and moved through southeastern Oklahoma during the evening. A tornado, large hail up to baseball size, and damaging wind occurred as the storms moved through the area. Some of the thunders...
Flood — Mar 13, 2021
The presence of a frontal boundary, a persistent flow of unseasonably moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, and the slow approach of an upper level system to the Southern Plains, resulted in multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms across northeastern Oklahoma from the 12th through the 17th. Four to eight inches of rain fell along and north of a line from Pawhuska to Grove during the period, w...
Flood — May 23, 2019
A persistently active weather pattern, consisting of a deep trough over the western U. S. and ridging along the Gulf Coast and southeastern U. S., set the stage for numerous rounds of rainfall across the Southern Plains from May 18th through the end of the month. The atmospheric moisture remained unseasonably high during this period, resulting in very efficient rainfall-producing showers and th...
Flood — May 22, 2019
A persistently active weather pattern, consisting of a deep trough over the western U. S. and ridging along the Gulf Coast and southeastern U. S., set the stage for numerous rounds of rainfall across the Southern Plains from May 18th through the end of the month. The atmospheric moisture remained unseasonably high during this period, resulting in very efficient rainfall-producing showers and th...
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 Osage 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 Osage 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.