Natural hazards · Bernice

Bernice, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bernice comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2015. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bernice?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bernice to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes10%Drought9%Heat waves5%Ice storms5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Bernice faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Bernice flood?

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

1paid claims since 2015

$33Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20152026

Biggest named events

Early summer storms: 1 claim, $33K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Bernice

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerniceDeclared for Delaware County only

2019

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

13 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

2017

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

$20K to the Town of Bernice for repairs

2011

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

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$12K to the Town of Bernice for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid $788 aid approved

Delaware County has had 26 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. Bernice 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 Bernice’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Bernice. 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.