Natural hazards · Burns Flat

Burns Flat, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burns Flat comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Burns Flat?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burns Flat to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding21%Tornadoes19%Cold waves14%Drought10%Strong wind9%Ice storms9%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Burns Flat faces

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

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 76 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Burns Flat flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washita County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Burns Flat

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Burns FlatDeclared for Washita County only

2015

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$4K to the Town of Burns Flat for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the Town of Burns Flat for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$1K to the Town of Burns Flat for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$4K to the Town of Burns Flat for repairs

Washita County has had 29 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. Burns Flat 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 Burns Flat’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Burns Flat. 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.