FEMA puts Sperry’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 75% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sperry gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (81%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1985.
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
What Sperry 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
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.
What’s behind Sperry’s grade
River and rain flooding is 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Sperry, and Sperry’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 4%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Sperry’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $564K a year in losses across Sperry: $294K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Sperry flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sperry, from FEMA’s records: 9.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Sperry isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tulsa County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Sperry
Disasters that paid out in Sperry itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Sperry), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Severe Winter Storms14 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
- 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding66 households applied for aid$220K aid approved$12K to the Town of Sperry for repairs
- 2007Severe Winter Storms$107K to the Town of Sperry for repairs
- 2007Severe Winter Storms$2K to the Town of Sperry for repairs
- 2005Extreme Wildfire Threat4 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
- 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$6K to the Town of Sperry for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Tulsa County has had 29 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 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Tulsa County, 2006–2011.
Old photos of Sperry after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sperry archive →Sperry and its neighbors
Sperry is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 2,197 |
| Sand Springs | Cmore damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 360 |
| Skiatook | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 112 |
| Sperry | C−more damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Sperry faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Sperry
Is Sperry at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Sperry has higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (81%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Sperry flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Sperry since 1985, $16K in all, or 9.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Sperry 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 Tulsa County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sperry?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sperry’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 Sperry?
By FEMA money that reached Sperry, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2019): 66 households applied for aid, $220K approved, and $12K to the Town of Sperry for repairs.
Is Sperry at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Sperry’s rate for it is higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sperry.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sperry’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.