Cleveland County, OK
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Cleveland County has experienced 43 federally declared disasters since 1971, most recently Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Cleveland County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, hail, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 152% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Cleveland County has been designated in 43 declarations since 1971, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (14), fire (10), severe ice storm (10).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2025 | Fire | East Thunderbird Fire |
| 2023 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Fire | Okc Fire Complex |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 43 total declarations since 1971.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 85 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.2 | 81 | 2 | $545K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.3 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.3 | 63 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.3 | 38 | 0 | $53.0M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 36.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.8 | 323 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.4 | 3 | 0 | $102K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Cleveland County ranks in the 55th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 55th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 50th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 34th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 68th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 67th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 80th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 31.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 504 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 143 in 2016–20 vs 361 in 2021–25 (+152% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Cleveland County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Cleveland County, Oklahoma are ice storm, hail, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Cleveland County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Cleveland County has received 43 federal disaster declarations since 1971, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Cleveland County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Cleveland County include Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (2025), East Thunderbird Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1971.
How does Cleveland County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Oklahoma County, OK has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Seminole County, OK has the lowest (Relatively Low). Cleveland County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Cleveland County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Cleveland County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Cleveland County's composite score of 91 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 91% of US counties.