How Much Is Flood Insurance in Oklahoma? Average Flood Insurance Cost and Coverage

Your homeowners or renters insurance likely does not cover any damage to your property from flooding, so you need to buy flood insurance separately.

So, how much is flood insurance in Oklahoma? Typically, your cost will depend on your location and unique property risks, such as foundation type, the number of floors and other factors outlined in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Risk Rating 2.0 methodology. Households in low-risk areas have lower premiums than moderate or high-risk areas.

Oklahoma has flood-risk zones; you can determine the level of your zone by checking a local flood rate map.

Individuals who live in low-risk flood zones may still need flood insurance as additional protection. According to FEMA, an inch of water may cause damage worth $25,000 to your property.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Cost of Flood Insurance in Oklahoma
• Flood Insurance Companies in Oklahoma
• Flood Insurance Coverage
• Flood Insurance Cost Factors in Oklahoma
• Do You Need Flood Insurance?
• Oklahoma Flood Insurance FAQs

Oklahoma’s average annual cost of flood insurance is $995. Individual rates may vary from this figure depending on the county and property risks. Insurers often charge higher premiums for properties in moderate or high-risk flood zones.

On average, Oklahoma’s flood insurance cost is higher than the national average, most likely because of a higher number of flood-prone areas within the state.

MoneyGeek discovered that the county in Oklahoma with the lowest average rate for flood insurance is Hormigueros Municipio, at $198 per year. Contrarily, Craig County has the highest average premium at $2,808 per year. The following table lists Oklahoma counties and their average flood insurance rates.

You can purchase flood insurance in Oklahoma from the NFIP or a private insurer. Private companies have a similar base policy as NFIP. They also have an excess policy that supplements the base policy. You may consider getting flood insurance coverage from private companies if NFIP coverage does not meet your needs or if you live outside an NFIP community.

NFIP has partnered with some insurance companies in Oklahoma to offer flood insurance to interested residents. The table below lists NFIP-participating insurance providers in the state with their contact details.

In Oklahoma, flood insurance has no special requirements, making it quite easy to obtain a policy. You only need to call your home insurance agent or the NFIP hotline at 877-336-2627 or get your policy from a private flood insurance company.

If you buy your policy from the NFIP, you will wait for 30 days before it becomes active, while most private insurers have a 10-day waiting period, although you should confirm with your provider. MoneyGeek recommends getting your policy as soon as you can.

Flood insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your building structure. It also protects against damage to your personal items. Remember, an inch of flooding can cause damage of up to $25,000.

In addition to unnatural causes of floods, your policy excludes sections of your home outside the building, including patios, swimming pools, decks, and landscaping. Your policy will also not provide coverage for vehicles, basement items, cash and paperwork. To protect your vehicle in flood, get comprehensive insurance on your auto policy.

Flood insurance building coverage covers the cost of repair and replacement of your damaged structure. Those who purchase their policies through NFIP can get as much as $250,000 in building coverage.

Specific items included in your flood insurance building coverage are:

• Foundation walls
• Electrical systems
• Plumbing systems
• Furnaces, central heating and air conditioning
• Built-in appliances
• Permanent carpets
• Built-in furniture

Flood insurance includes contents coverage that pays for the replacement or repair of your personal items. Through NFIP, you can choose a maximum of $100,000 of contents coverage.

Some of the personal items included in your policy are:

• Clothing
• Furniture
• Electronic equipment
• Washers and dryers
• Artwork

Until October 2021, flood insurance providers calculated flood insurance premiums according to the location on the flood rate map. Counties within a flood zone featured higher flood insurance costs — you can use FEMA’s website to check out the historical flood risk levels in Oklahoma.

For the Oklahoma counties reviewed by MoneyGeek, Cimarron has had the lowest number of flooding events, at 14, while Tulsa has had 159, which is the highest. Flood insurance policies cost an average of $364 annually in Cimarron and $892 per year in Tulsa.

FEMA began using the Risk Rating 2.0 system in October 2021 to help determine flood insurance costs based on unique property risks, resulting in fairer premiums. Previously, premiums merely depended on proximity to flood-risk areas. However, with Risk Rating 2.0, factors like the dwelling structure, replacement and repair costs, foundation type and frequency of flooding play a key role in determining actual costs.

Ultimately, your location remains the primary factor in determining flood insurance costs in Oklahoma, while additional factors considered today include the following.

Lender and government-backed mortgages require Oklahoma residents living in high-risk flood areas to buy flood insurance. Nevertheless, flood insurance is also ideal for those in low or moderate-risk flood zones since any home may be vulnerable to flooding.

Flood damage is not included in most homeowners and renters insurance policies, so you need a separate flood insurance policy. One advantage of flood insurance is that providers pay claims even when there is no official federal disaster declaration. The policies also provide higher limits than the $5,000 maximum limit per household offered in federal disaster assistance grants and loans.

Flood insurance coverage comes with peace of mind since your insurer pays for damage to your home after a flood event.

MoneyGeek responded to some common questions about flood insurance in Oklahoma to help you understand what you should expect when purchasing a policy.