Natural hazards · Oppelo

Oppelo, AR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oppelo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Oppelo?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oppelo to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes23%Ice storms8%Earthquakes7%Heat waves6%Strong wind6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Oppelo faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Ice storms

8% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Oppelo flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Oppelo.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Oppelo isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Conway County.

Disasters that hit Oppelo

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Oppelo itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Oppelo.

Brought FEMA money into OppeloDeclared for Conway County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$102K to the City of Oppelo for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$6K to the City of Oppelo for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding

$56K to the City of Oppelo for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$39K to the City of Oppelo for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$6K to the City of Oppelo for repairs

Conway County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Oppelo is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oppelo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oppelo. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.