Natural hazards · Cushing

Cushing, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cushing comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1982. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cushing?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cushing to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and tornadoes.

Cold waves31%Tornadoes24%Inland flooding20%Hail8%Ice storms5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Cushing faces

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

Cold waves

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 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

HurricanesWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Cushing flood?

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

4paid claims since 1982

$112Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

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

Insurance rates: Payne County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

27storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Cushing

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CushingDeclared for Payne County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

8 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

$242K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2020

Severe Winter Storm

$239K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2019

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

5 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $7K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$49K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$728K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

4 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$11K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

4 households applied for aid $8K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$59K to the City of Cushing for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$8K to the City of Cushing for repairs

Payne County has had 31 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and fires.

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. Cushing 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 Cushing’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cushing. 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.