Nowata County, Oklahoma: hazard risk
FEMA rates Nowata County's overall risk Very Low (score 40.8 of 100, higher than 40% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 649 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.0 | $1.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 93.7 | $896K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 67.9 | $297K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 64.2 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 64.1 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 63.9 | $452K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.9 | $27K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 28.9 | $68K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 54.5 | $40K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 39.1 | $396 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34.0 | $67K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 29.0 | $2.2M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 25.8 | $6K |
| Hail | Very Low | 24.6 | $58K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 207 | 3 | $9.0M | 23rd of 77 | 1015th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 158 | 0 | $402K | 57th of 77 | 491st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 67 | 0 | – | 29th of 77 | 193rd of 3,063 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $1.1M | 10th of 77 | 823rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 56 | 0 | – | 26th of 77 | 289th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 48 | 0 | $29M | 11th of 77 | 1725th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 43 | 0 | $3.4M | 44th of 77 | 560th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | – | 66th of 77 | 2529th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $311K | 55th of 77 | 630th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $9K | 58th of 77 | 1986th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Nowata County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.