Natural hazards · Sulphur

Sulphur, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sulphur comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1990. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sulphur?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sulphur to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes25%Heat waves7%Hail7%Strong wind6%Ice storms5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Sulphur faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Sulphur flood?

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

1paid claims since 1990

$9Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19902026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Murray County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

15storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Sulphur

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SulphurDeclared for Murray County only

2024

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

577 households applied for aid $2.6M aid approved $2.6M to the City of Sulphur for repairs

2015

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

29 households applied for aid $49K aid approved

2005

Extreme Wildfire Threat

$3K to the City of Sulphur for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$204K to the City of Sulphur for repairs

Murray County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires 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. Sulphur covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sulphur’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sulphur. 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 Sulphur total about $1.5M 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.