5 flood insurance claims·$104,609 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 Washita 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 thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Washita County, accounting for 15 out of 17 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside two general flood events. Localized flood risks are frequently driven by severe weather patterns, such as the numerous supercell storms and large thunderstorm lines that produced flooding events in May 2019.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones with varying impacts. Zone A properties recorded two claims with an average payout of $7,378 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X properties also recorded two claims, resulting in a higher average payout of $48,615 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. One additional claim was filed under an unknown zone with no financial payout and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located in both designated Special Flood Hazard Areas like Zone A and moderate-to-low risk areas like Zone X, given that both zones have experienced historical flood claims and property damage in the county.
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 1 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.
The worst year was 2019, with 2 claims and $9,968 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
37 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Nov 2, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 25, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Oct 26, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 7, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 16, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 28, 2017 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
17 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 20, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 8, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 7, 2018 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 23, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2007 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 25, 2019. Scattered supercells merged into a linear system that produced a variety of severe weather on the 25th.
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.
Flood · May 8, 2019. Numerous supercell storms were followed by a large line of thunderstorms that produced severe weather on the evening and overnight of the 7th into the 8th.
Flash Flood · Oct 7, 2018. A warm front lifted north through Oklahoma during the day on the 7th, producing numerous thunderstorms.
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 Washita 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.