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Tahlequah, OklahomaPhoto: Caleb Long · CC BY-SA 2.5
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Tahlequah · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Tahlequah than in 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tahlequah gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #96 of 131 in Oklahoma. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then ice storms (12%). Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1986.

River and rain flooding 69%Ice storms 12%Wildfire 8%

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 76%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#96 of 131 in Oklahoma
Hazard risk
C−#96 of 131
in Oklahoma · higher than 76% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
69% of expected building damage
Flood claims
11
paid since 1986 · $97K
Disasters paid out here
10
of 21 declared for Cherokee County
By hazard

What Tahlequah 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

69%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Winter storms top 3% Hurricanes Lightning 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 heat waves at 11% of Tahlequah’s expected losses. Heat 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 Tahlequah’s grade

River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Tahlequah, and Tahlequah’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 12%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Tahlequah sits
Tahlequah
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #96 of 131 in Oklahoma; higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Tahlequah’s residents live in 7 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding69%Ice storms12%Wildfire8%Everything else11%

The typical Oklahoma town has higher expected damage than 69% of U.S. towns; within the state, Tahlequah has more expected damage per building than 73% of Oklahoma towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $10.5M a year in losses across Tahlequah: $5.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 7 census tracts by where Tahlequah’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Tahlequah flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1986

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Tahlequah, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 70% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1986: 2 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 1 claim1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 2 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 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: 1 claim198619891996
19862026
11
paid claims since 1986
$97K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Cherokee County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
17storm safe rooms built
1flood-prone property bought out and cleared
Disasters

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Tahlequah

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

  1. 2022Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding56 households applied for aid$48K aid approved
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms49 households applied for aid$26K aid approved
  3. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding10 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  4. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding5 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  5. 2010Severe Winter Storm$22K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs
  6. 2009Severe Winter Storm$5K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs
Show all 10
  1. 2009Severe Winter Storm$245K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs
  2. 2007Severe Winter Storms$86K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs
  3. 2003Severe Storms and Tornadoes3 households applied for aid$765 aid approved
  4. 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$60K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in TahlequahCherokee County only

Cherokee County has had 21 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Tahlequah archive →
Next door

Tahlequah and its neighbors

Tahlequah has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Park Hill: hazard risk C−Grandview: hazard risk C−Park HillGrandviewTahlequah
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
TahlequahC−more damage than 76%river and rain flooding11
Park HillC−more damage than 76%river and rain flooding—
GrandviewC−more damage than 84%river and rain flooding—

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Tahlequah 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 ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
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 ↗
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 Tahlequah

Is Tahlequah at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tahlequah has higher expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #96 of 131 in Oklahoma. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and ice storms (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Tahlequah flood?

Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Tahlequah since 1986, $97K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 70% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Tahlequah 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 Cherokee County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Tahlequah?

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

By FEMA money that reached Tahlequah, Severe Winter Storm (2009): $245K to the City of Tahlequah for repairs.

Is Tahlequah at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Tahlequah’s rate for it is higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Tahlequah.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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