Natural hazards · Alva

Alva, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alva comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2000. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Alva?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alva to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves.

Cold waves62%Inland flooding13%Tornadoes9%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Alva faces

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

Cold waves

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Alva flood?

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

1paid claims since 2000

$32Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20002026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Woods County.

Disasters that hit Alva

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AlvaDeclared for Woods County only

2019

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

38 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$41K to the City of Alva for repairs

2009

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$10K to the City of Alva for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$16K to the City of Alva for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$9K to the City of Alva for repairs

Woods County has had 20 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. Alva 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 Alva’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alva. 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.