Natural hazards · Okemah

Okemah, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Okemah comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Okemah?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Okemah to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding20%Wildfire14%Tornadoes13%Heat waves12%Ice storms11%Hail9%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Okemah faces

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

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 25 times a year in the area

Ice storms

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Okemah flood?

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

79storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Okemah

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OkemahDeclared for Okfuskee County only

2024

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

35 households applied for aid $203K aid approved $187K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2015

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

93 households applied for aid $146K aid approved $267K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $3K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

17 households applied for aid $65K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$4K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$6K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $2K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

6 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $6K to the City of Okemah for repairs

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

11 households applied for aid $25K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

9 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$146K to the City of Okemah for repairs

Okfuskee 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. Okemah covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Okemah’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Okemah. 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 Okemah total about $1.6M 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.