11 flood insurance claims·$118,208 paid
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 Woods 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 and heavy rain systems dominates the flood risk profile in Woods County, OK. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 12 flash flood events, which resulted in 1 death, alongside 9 standard flood events.
Historical events illustrate this pattern, such as the evening and overnight storms on May 7, 2019, when numerous supercells were followed by a large line of thunderstorms. Another significant event occurred on July 6, 2015, when a cold front swept through the southern plains, bringing prolonged heavy rain and flash flooding to parts of northwest Oklahoma.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records show claims distributed across multiple zones. Zone A recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $10,280 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $20,536 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch, while Zone UNKNOWN recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $2,613 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in designated high-risk zones, as well as those in unshaded or unknown zones where heavy rain and flash flooding can still cause damage, should pay the closest attention to these risks.
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 2000, with 3 claims and $79,852 paid.
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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Woods County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Oklahoma flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1993.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 19, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 8, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 7, 2019 |
| Nw Oklahoma Wildfire Outbreak Complex | Mar 6, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 13, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Dec 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Nov 27, 2015 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 7, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 12, 2008 | — |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Aug 29, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Jun 16, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Jun 10, 2005 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 7, 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 · Jul 6, 2015. A line of storms (some of them strong) formed along a cold front as it swept down into the southern plains through the evening of the 6th. A few areas received prolonged heavy rain, resulting in flash flooding in parts of northwest Oklahoma. As the front continued southward through Oklahoma, more showers and storms erupted on the 7th, producing more flash flooding. The front then stalled across southeast Oklahoma,…
Flash Flood · Sep 12, 2008. A prolonged area of southwest flow aloft developed over much of Oklahoma during the period from the 10th through the 12th. Numerous upper level disturbances moving through the flow, as well as a very moist air mass allowed for several rounds of showers and thunderstorms to develop and move northeast, much of the time moving over the same areas. Moisture associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Lowell added t…
Flood · Jun 16, 2005. Severe thunderstorms developed into a large cluster and squall line causing widespread wind damage across much of Oklahoma on June 16-17. These thunderstorms also produced a strong gust front which caused high wind gusts well ahead of the thunderstorms in parts of southern Oklahoma. There were two areas that received the most significant damage. One area was located from near Hennessey in northern Kingfisher count…
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 Woods 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.