Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Newkirk

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Kay County Oklahoma Courthouse by SmallchiefPhoto: Smallchief · CC BY 3.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Newkirk · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Newkirk than in 81% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Newkirk gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%), then wildfire (16%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.

River and rain flooding 52%Wildfire 16%Tornadoes 14%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 81%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Oklahoma · higher than 81% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
52% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 2008 · $36K
Flooded more than once
1
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
9
of 30 declared for Kay County

What stands out about Newkirk’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Wildfire: the top 3% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for wildfire here ranks in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts; it is 15.7% of the damage it expects.Made safer with FEMA grants13 storm safe rooms built with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Newkirk 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

52%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 23% of Newkirk’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Newkirk’s grade

River and rain flooding is 52% of the building damage FEMA expects in Newkirk, and Newkirk’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 16%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Newkirk sits
Newkirk
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Newkirk’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding52%Wildfire16%Tornadoes14%Everything else18%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Newkirk: $755K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in 2024, FEMA took 99 aid registrations from Newkirk addresses (the town has 939 homes).
Shared tract.All of Newkirk’s 2,172 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Kaw City city (325 residents) and Kildare town (86 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Newkirk flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2008

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Newkirk, from FEMA’s records: 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2008
20082026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Ike1 claim · $36K
1
paid claims since 2008
$36K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$36K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Kay County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
13storm safe rooms built
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Newkirk

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding99 households applied for aid$234K aid approved
  2. 2020Severe Winter Storm$12K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  3. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$20K aid approved$94K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  4. 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes2 households applied for aid$3K aid approved$3K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$750 to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  6. 2007Severe Winter Storms$3K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
Show all 9
  1. 2005Extreme Wildfire Threat$2K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  2. 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$154K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
  3. 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$3K to the City of Newkirk for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in NewkirkKay County only

Kay County has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Kay County, 2006–2006.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Newkirk archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Newkirk 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Newkirk

Is Newkirk at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Newkirk has higher expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%) and wildfire (16%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Newkirk flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Newkirk since 2008, $36K in all, or 1.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 77% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).

Is Newkirk 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 Kay County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Newkirk?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Newkirk’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 Newkirk?

By FEMA money that reached Newkirk, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2024): 99 households applied for aid, $234K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $36K.

Is Newkirk at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (52%), and Newkirk’s rate for it is higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Newkirk.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Newkirk’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.