FEMA Records
35
Very high volume
Oklahoma · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Stephens County, OK
35 FEMA disaster declarations (1973-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 35
- FEMA declarations
- 25
- Major disasters
- 66
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Stephens County. Its 35 FEMA declarations are 9% above the Oklahoma county mean and exceed the count for 93% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 34%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 34%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 35
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 91
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 40137 · Stephens County 35 declarations · rank 224/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 35
- MAJOR-MID 71%
- RANK-UPPER #224
- PHOTO-FINISH Okeechobee
- NRI-LOW 66
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-ABOVE +9%
Nearest declaration peer: Okeechobee, FL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Oklahoma state profile
Stephens County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Stephens County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Brunswick · near 35
Brunswick · near
35 declarations
- Indian River · near 35
Indian River · near
35 declarations
- Okeechobee · near 35
Okeechobee · near
35 declarations
- Stephens · this county 35
Stephens · this county
35 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Stephens County carries 35 FEMA declaration records, ranked 224 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Stephens County ranks in the national declaration registry
Stephens County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Stephens County
35 Top 7% higher than 93% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Stephens County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Stephens County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $6.7M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Hail carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Stephens County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 91 paid claims, totaling $918.7K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $10.1K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Stephens County's 35 federal records stand 9% above the Oklahoma county mean of 32.2. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 65.9/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $22.5M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hail carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 11 times per year here, based on 427 historical events on record.
75 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Stephens County, OK · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Very High
25/30
35 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
14/25
35 declarations (1.1x state county average of 32)
Major Disaster Share High
18/25
25 of 35 declarations are major disasters (71%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Stephens County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Stephens County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
71%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
66
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Stephens County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 11 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 189 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | an average of 4.7 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 19 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 54 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 7.8 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 677 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 52 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 160 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 15
Severe Ice Storm 9
Fire 4
Flood 3
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Tornado 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Stephens County's record, 43% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 25 71.4%
of all 35 declarations
Emergency - 8 22.9%
of all 35 declarations
Fire Management - 2 5.7%
of all 35 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
Show 6 earlier declaration years
| 2001 | 3 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 35 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 35 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4862 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-03-18 |
| 5564 | WILDHORSE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-15 |
| 4721 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-07-19 |
| 4587 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-24 |
| 3555 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-17 |
| 4575 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2020-12-21 |
| 4530 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-05 |
| 3462 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4453 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-07-12 |
| 4274 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-07-15 |
| 4222 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-05-26 |
| 1985 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-05-13 |
| 3316 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Storm | 2011-02-02 |
| 1883 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2010-03-05 |
| 1876 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-02-25 |
| 3308 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Storm | 2010-01-30 |
| 1846 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2009-06-19 |
| 2812 | VELMA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2009-04-10 |
| 3280 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-12-10 |
| 1723 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-31 |
Show 15 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1718 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-08-24 |
| 1712 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-07-07 |
| 1678 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-02-01 |
| 3272 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-01-14 |
| 1623 | EXTREME WILDFIRE THREAT | DR | Fire | 2006-01-10 |
| 3219 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-05 |
| 1401 | SEVERE WINTER ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2002-02-01 |
| 1384 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-06-29 |
| 1355 | SEVERE WINTER ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2001-01-05 |
| 3158 | SEVERE WINTER AND ICE STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2000-12-28 |
| 866 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1990-05-18 |
| 794 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1987-07-09 |
| 693 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1983-10-26 |
| 576 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1979-04-13 |
| 392 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, & TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 1973-06-13 |
Storm Events in Oklahoma
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Stephens County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 5,894 | 0 | 1 | $19.8M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,592 | 6 | 36 | $199.5M |
| Drought | 2,935 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 2,134 | 7 | 428 | $0 |
| Excessive Heat | 1,771 | 2 | 401 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
91
Total Paid
$918.7K
Avg Per Claim
$10.1K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 65.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$22.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
For Stephens County the two measures on this page point the same way: Hail is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively Moderate), and Severe Storm declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Stephens County's closest FEMA peer: Adjuntas Municipio, PR
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Stephens County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Stephens County shows 35 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Stephens County: 25 of 35 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Stephens County: NRI composite 65.9 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Stephens County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Stephens County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 65.9 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 35. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Stephens County's NFIP claims file (91 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Stephens County?
The most common disaster type in Stephens County is Severe Storm, with 15 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Ice Storm (9), Fire (4), Flood (3).
How does Stephens County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Oklahoma average?
FEMA lists 35 declaration records for Stephens County. That is 9% above the Oklahoma county mean of 32.2. Its count is also 69% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Stephens County received?
Stephens County has received 25 major disaster declarations, representing 71% of all 35 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Stephens County filed?
Stephens County has 91 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $918.7K in payments, with an average of $10.1K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Stephens County?
No. In Stephens County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $6.7M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Stephens County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Stephens County was 2007, with 5 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1973 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Stephens County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Stephens County, Oklahoma has an overall risk score of 65.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $22.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Stephens County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Stephens County as of the latest release is Hail (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 11 times per year, drawn from 427 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Stephens County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Oklahoma profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events