Natural hazards · Ada

Ada, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ada comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1983. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ada?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ada to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes30%Inland flooding28%Hail11%Cold waves7%Heat waves6%Ice storms6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Ada faces

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

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 20 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ada flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ada, from FEMA’s records.

6paid claims since 1983

$511Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19832026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pontotoc County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

32storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Ada

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AdaDeclared for Pontotoc County only

2024

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

309 households applied for aid $654K aid approved

2017

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

$16K to the City of Ada for repairs

2015

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

130 households applied for aid $132K aid approved $94K to the City of Ada for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storm

$144K to the City of Ada for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$12K to the City of Ada for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$44K to the City of Ada for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

90 households applied for aid $70K aid approved $39K to the City of Ada for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

1 household applied for aid

2003

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

41 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $49K to the City of Ada for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$1.0M to the City of Ada for repairs

Pontotoc County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and ice storms.

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. Ada covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Ada total about $6.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.