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Stephenson HouseStephenson House · Photo: local government · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Oakman · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Oakman

Oakman isn’t graded for hazard risk: Oakman has 934 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 21 declared for Walker County
By hazard

What Oakman faces

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

River and rain flooding

85%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hurricanes Hail Strong wind Wildfire Ice storms Cold waves Landslides top 3% Lightning Winter storms Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Oakman flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Oakman. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Oakman isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Walker County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
23storm safe rooms built
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Oakman

Disasters that paid out in Oakman itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Oakman), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding102 households applied for aid$195K aid approved
  2. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  3. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$9K aid approved$86K to the Town of Oakman for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in OakmanWalker County only

Walker County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Walker County, 1998–1998.

Were you here?

Old photos of Oakman after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Oakman archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Oakman faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Oakman

Is Oakman in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Walker County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Oakman?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Oakman’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Oakman?

By FEMA money that reached Oakman, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2011): 102 households applied for aid, $195K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oakman.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Oakman’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.