Natural hazards · Idabel

Idabel, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Idabel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Idabel?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Idabel to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes15%Strong wind8%Ice storms7%Heat waves7%Hail6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Idabel faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 25 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

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

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

Hail

6% 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 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 Idabel flood?

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

48paid claims since 1993

$839Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 5 claims, $56K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Idabel 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

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Idabel

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into IdabelDeclared for McCurtain County only

2015

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$47K to the City of Idabel for repairs

2015

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

49 households applied for aid $59K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$5K to the City of Idabel for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

$2K to the City of Idabel for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$989K to the City of Idabel 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. Idabel 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 Idabel’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Idabel. 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.