Natural hazards · Checotah

Checotah, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Checotah comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2021. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Checotah?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Checotah to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding31%Tornadoes20%Heat waves16%Hail7%Ice storms6%Cold waves6%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Checotah faces

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 53 years in the area

Heat waves

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 26 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 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

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Checotah flood?

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

1paid claims since 2021

$48Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20212026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: McIntosh County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Checotah

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChecotahDeclared for McIntosh County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

26 households applied for aid $26K aid approved $3K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2015

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

49 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $21K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$20K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

32 households applied for aid $58K aid approved $23K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$18K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$318K to the City of Checotah for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

22 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$144K to the City of Checotah for repairs

McIntosh County has had 23 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. Checotah covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Checotah’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Checotah. 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 Checotah total about $1.9M 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.