Enter any address in Pawnee County, Oklahoma to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Pawnee County, OK. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 35 recorded flash flood events compared to 10 general flood events. For example, localized flash flooding occurred on June 14th, 2025, due to strong thunderstorms, and again on June 7th, 2021, from slow-moving storms that produced locally heavy rainfall.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced an average of four claims with payouts averaging $10,589 for an average water depth of 1.2 feet. One claim was recorded in an unknown zone with an average payout of $790 and an average water depth of 5.0 feet. Residents in Zone A and those in areas with unknown flood risk should pay close attention to flood potential.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
16 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Pawnee County, Oklahoma has recorded 45 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 35 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 36 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 (1974–2025)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 328 Fire | Fire | Mar 19, 2025 |
| Barn Fire | Fire | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Keystone Fire | Fire | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Wildfires And Straight-line Winds | Fire | Mar 14, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2023 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2025 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2021 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 10, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Oct 4, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Oct 4, 2017 | 25.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 14, 2025
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved through portions of eastern Oklahoma during the late morning and afternoon of the 14th, as warm, moist and unstable air was drawn over a stationary front across the area. The strongest storms produced hail up to nickel size, and localized flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 7, 2021
A broad low pressure center in the middle and upper atmosphere moved from northern Texas to northeastern Oklahoma on the 6th and 7th. The first round of thunderstorms affected southeastern Oklahoma during the morning and afternoon hours of the 6th. Locally heavy rainfall occurred, which resulted in isolated flash flooding. ||A more pronounced and focused area of thunderstorms developed during t...
Flash Flood — Sep 26, 2019
Thunderstorms developed across northeast Oklahoma during the late evening of the 25th, and continued across the region into the early morning hours of the 26th. The strongest thunderstorms produced large hail up to half dollar size and damaging wind. Additionally, the thunderstorms moved slowly and produced locally heavy rainfall repeatedly across the same areas, which resulted in some flash fl...
Flash Flood — May 21, 2019
A strong upper level storm system moved into the Southern Plains from the Rockies on the 20th and 21st. The attendant warm front moved from northern Texas northward into northeastern Oklahoma during the day on the 20th, and then the cold front associated with this storm system moved through eastern Oklahoma during the late evening of the 20th and early morning hours of the 21st. Warm, moist, an...
Flood — May 20, 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 Pawnee 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 Pawnee 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.