Payne County, OK
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Payne County has experienced 39 federally declared disasters since 1974, 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.
Payne County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, cold wave, and hail, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 165% 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. Payne County has been designated in 39 declarations since 1974, covering 7 disaster types including fire (11), severe storm (10), severe ice storm (9).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2025 | Fire | Underwood Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | Stillwater Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | Euchee Creek Fire |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | 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 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 39 total declarations since 1974.
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 Moderate | 89.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.6 | 16 | 1 | $40K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.3 | 171 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 | 80 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.7 | 9 | 0 | $220K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 30.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 96.4 | 75 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 81 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 71.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.7 | 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
Payne County ranks in the 64th 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 | 64th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 77th | High |
| Household characteristics | 4th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 60th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 88th | High |
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 | 91st | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 89th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 53.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 179 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 49 in 2016–20 vs 130 in 2021–25 (+165% — 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 Payne County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Payne County, Oklahoma are ice storm, cold wave, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Payne County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Payne County has received 39 federal disaster declarations since 1974, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is fire (11 declarations).
Has Payne County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Payne County include Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (2025), Underwood Fire (2025), Stillwater Fire (2025), Euchee Creek Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1974.
How does Payne 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 Noble County, OK has the lowest (Relatively Low). Payne County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Payne County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Payne 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. Payne County's composite score of 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.