Natural hazards · Chelsea

Chelsea, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chelsea comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 Chelsea?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chelsea to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding54%Heat waves14%Tornadoes9%Cold waves9%Ice storms7%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Chelsea faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 25 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

7% 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 weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Chelsea flood?

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

1paid claims since 2019

$22Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rogers County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Chelsea

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChelseaDeclared for Rogers County only

2024

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

2 households applied for aid $969 aid approved

2019

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

45 households applied for aid $132K aid approved

2015

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

3 households applied for aid

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$68K to the Town of Chelsea for repairs

Rogers County has had 24 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. Chelsea covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chelsea’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Chelsea. 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 Chelsea total about $956K 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.

Chelsea, OK natural hazards

How exposed is Chelsea?

What Chelsea faces

Inland flooding

Heat waves

Tornadoes

Cold waves

Ice storms

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Chelsea flood?

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

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

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

Severe Winter Storms

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

Nearby