Natural hazards · Broken Bow

Broken Bow, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Broken Bow comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2019. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Broken Bow?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Broken Bow to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes14%Strong wind8%Heat waves7%Ice storms6%Hail5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Broken Bow faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 71 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Broken Bow flood?

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

2paid claims since 2019

$84Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20192026

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. Broken Bow isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: McCurtain County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Broken Bow

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Broken BowDeclared for McCurtain County only

2015

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$37K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2015

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

47 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $127K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

$3K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$244K to the City of Broken Bow for repairs

McCurtain County has had 18 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. Broken Bow covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Broken Bow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Broken Bow. 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 Broken Bow total about $2.7M 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.