Natural hazards · Welch

Welch, OK natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Welch comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Welch?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Welch to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves14%Ice storms14%Drought13%Tornadoes10%Heat waves6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Welch faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 28 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Welch flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Craig County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

47storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Welch

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WelchDeclared for Craig County only

2024

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

17 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2019

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

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$1K to the Town of Welch for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $828 aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$25K to the Town of Welch for repairs

Craig 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. Welch 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 Welch’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Welch. 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.

Welch, OK natural hazards

How exposed is Welch?

What Welch faces

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Ice storms

Drought

Tornadoes

Heat waves

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Welch flood?

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

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

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Winter Storms

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

Nearby