Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Okeechobee County, FL

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
12093
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2027-01-05. Plan: Okeechobee County (FEMA plan 107932), approved 2022-01-05.

Since the plan was approved on 2022-01-05: 8 new hazard declarations (4 incidents) and 12 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($12,391,841 a year), Hurricane ($9,553,098) and Strong Wind ($1,296,642).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2027-01-05
Plan:
Okeechobee County (FEMA plan 107932)
Approved:
2022-01-05
Days to expiry:
97
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

What changed since your last plan (approved 2022-01-05)

New federal declarations:
8 new hazard declarations (4 incidents): EM-3584-FL (Tropical Storm Ian), DR-4673-FL (Hurricane Ian), EM-3587-FL (Tropical Storm Nicole), DR-4680-FL (Hurricane Nicole), EM-3605-FL (Tropical Storm Debby), DR-4806-FL (Hurricane Debby), EM-3622-FL (Hurricane Milton), DR-4834-FL (Hurricane Milton)
Storm Events records since approval:
12 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 19
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Okeechobee County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2027-01-05Okeechobee County (FEMA plan 107932)2022-01-052027-01-0597
Okeechobee cityCityApproved, expires 2027-01-05Okeechobee County (FEMA plan 107932)2022-01-052027-01-0597this jurisdiction approved 2022-01-20

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$12,222,510$166,889$2,443$12,391,8416
2HurricaneRelatively HighRelatively High$6,131,930$3,065,866$355,302$9,553,0989Includes 2 Tropical Depression records (outside NRI's Hurricane definition).
3Strong WindRelatively HighRelatively Moderate$654,553$524,702$117,387$1,296,64238Includes 2 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
4WildfireRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$719,174$12,601$123,213$854,9881
5Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$8,115$758,400$5,283$771,7985Includes 4 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
6LightningRelatively HighRelatively Moderate$16,187n/a$710,881$727,0690No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
7TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$255,861$5,539$376,809$638,20911
8Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$12$222$194,305$194,5401
9DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$81,936n/a$81,9360No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10HailVery LowVery Low$1,536$10,829$13,225$25,58942
11EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$15,373n/a$7,249$22,622Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
12LandslideVery LowVery Low$101n/a$1$1020No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13Coastal FloodingNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0n/a$0$00No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14Winter WeatherNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0$0$0$00No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local lightning and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, ice storm, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Coastal Flooding and Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9106.01 (Very Low, 20.2); tract 9103 (Very Low, 17.4); tract 9105 (Very Low, 17.2)
Hurricanetract 9101.01 (Very High, 98.5); tract 9101.02 (Very High, 97.8); tract 9106.01 (Very High, 97.1)
Landslidetract 9106.02 (Very Low, 76.1); tract 9104.01 (Very Low, 72.8); tract 9105 (Very Low, 65.9)
Tornadotract 9106.01 (Relatively Moderate, 63.7); tract 9101.01 (Relatively Moderate, 63.1); tract 9105 (Relatively Moderate, 60.4)
Wildfiretract 9101.02 (Relatively High, 97.0); tract 9101.01 (Relatively High, 96.9); tract 9106.02 (Relatively Moderate, 93.9)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9106.01 is Census Tract 9106.01). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)0Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill1 record, 2010 (1 zone-level)1 day; 1 with a recorded value1 consecutive day, 2010-12-14, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage4 records, 2009 to 2010 (4 zone-level)Frost/Freeze, 2010-12-27, $2,210,000 crop damage (2010 dollars); NWS zone FLZ058Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)46 records, 1976 to 20200.75 in to 2.5 in (median 0.88 in); 46 with a recorded value2.5 in hail, 2011-04-28Hail, 2016-03-24, $5,000 property; crops not reported (2016 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Okeechobee city (20 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)1 record, 2022 (1 zone-level)1 day; 1 with a recorded value1 consecutive day, 2022-06-24, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson9 records, 2008 to 2024 (9 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Hurricane record (NOAA event type 'Hurricane (Typhoon)'), 2022-09-28 to 2022-09-29, category 1, $1,400,000 property; crops not reported (2022 dollars); NWS zone FLZ058Most damaging recorded: Tropical Storm, 2017-09-10, $157,000,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2017 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)6 records, 2004 to 2022Flood, 2012-08-27, $150,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Okeechobee city (2 records).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)0Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)4 records, 2004 to 2021 (4 zone-level)43 kt (49 mph) to 80 kt (92 mph) (median 70 kt (81 mph)); 4 with a recorded value80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2005-10-24; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2004-09-26; NWS zone FLZ058Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)52 records, 1968 to 202535 kt (40 mph) to 80 kt (92 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 34 with a recorded value80 kt (92 mph) estimated, Thunderstorm Wind, 2002-04-03Thunderstorm Wind, 2017-04-06, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2017 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Okeechobee city (22 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)26 records, 1959 to 2024F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF1); 22 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1972-06-18, 4.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 150 yd wide, $500,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars), 6 direct deaths, 44 direct injuriesTornado, 1998-03-09, $5,400,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Okeechobee city (4 records).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)1 record, 2017 (1 zone-level)Wildfire, 2017-05-27, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars); NWS zone FLZ058Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)0

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 35 declarations covering 25 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2024-10-112024-10-05DR-4834-FLMajor disasterHurricane MiltonHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding$1,226,039.71new since last plan; within last 5 years
2024-10-072024-10-05EM-3622-FLEmergencyHurricane MiltonHurricaneno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4834
2024-08-102024-08-01DR-4806-FLMajor disasterHurricane DebbyHurricaneno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2024-08-032024-08-01EM-3605-FLEmergencyTropical Storm DebbyHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Strong Wind, Tornadono Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4806
2022-12-132022-11-07DR-4680-FLMajor disasterHurricane NicoleHurricane$17,946.49new since last plan; within last 5 years
2022-11-082022-11-07EM-3587-FLEmergencyTropical Storm NicoleHurricaneno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4680
2022-09-292022-09-23DR-4673-FLMajor disasterHurricane IanHurricane$4,700,495.60new since last plan; within last 5 years
2022-09-242022-09-23EM-3584-FLEmergencyTropical Storm IanHurricaneno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4673
2020-08-012020-07-31EM-3533-FLEmergencyHurricane IsaiasHurricane$3,467.63
2020-03-252020-01-20DR-4486-FLMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$53,945.31
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3432-FLEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4486
2019-08-302019-08-28EM-3419-FLEmergencyHurricane DorianHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2017-09-102017-09-04DR-4337-FLMajor disasterHurricane IrmaHurricane$2,918,966.17
2017-09-052017-09-04EM-3385-FLEmergencyHurricane IrmaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4337
2016-10-062016-10-03EM-3377-FLEmergencyHurricane MatthewHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2008-08-242008-08-18DR-1785-FLMajor disasterTropical Storm FayHurricane; Inland Flooding$314,266.29
2008-08-212008-08-18EM-3288-FLEmergencyTropical Storm FayHurricane; Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1785
2007-06-272007-05-29FM-2696-FLFire managementOkeechobee Fire ComplexWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-10-242005-10-23DR-1609-FLMajor disasterHurricane WilmaHurricane$907,891.14
2005-09-052005-08-29EM-3220-FLEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-09-262004-09-24DR-1561-FLMajor disasterHurricane JeanneHurricane$1,714,045.24
2004-09-162004-09-13DR-1551-FLMajor disasterHurricane IvanHurricanenone placed in this county by FEMA's record; $368,533.58 for this declaration is not placed in any county (see the state page)
2004-09-042004-09-03DR-1545-FLMajor disasterHurricane FrancesHurricane$2,205,045.66
2004-08-132004-08-11DR-1539-FLMajor disasterTropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane CharleyHurricane$16,268.32
2001-02-192001-02-19FM-2354-FLFire managementFl - Okeechobee Complex FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2001-02-052000-12-01DR-1359-FLMajor disasterSevere FreezeCold WavePA not declared for this county
1999-10-201999-10-14DR-1306-FLMajor disasterFl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-ReqHurricane$40,869.07
1999-10-151999-10-14EM-3150-FLEmergencyTropical Storm Irene - FloridaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1306
1999-04-271999-04-15EM-3139-FLEmergencyFl-Fires 04/15/99Wildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1999-04-151999-04-13FM-2251-FLFire managementOkeechobee Fire ComplexWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1998-06-181998-05-25DR-1223-FLMajor disasterExtreme Fire HazardWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1998-01-061997-12-25DR-1195-FLMajor disasterSevere Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1990-01-151989-12-23DR-851-FLMajor disasterSevere FreezeCold WavePA not declared for this county
1977-01-311977-01-31DR-526-FLMajor disasterSevere Winter WeatherCold WavePA not declared for this county
1972-06-231972-06-23DR-337-FLMajor disasterTropical Storm AgnesHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1995-08-031995-08-02EM-3116-FLEmergencyHurricane ErinHurricane
1964-09-101964-09-10DR-176-FLMajor disasterHurricane DoraHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1964-09-081964-09-08DR-175-FLMajor disasterHurricane CleoHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1962-12-171962-12-17DR-141-FLMajor disasterAbnormally High TidesInland Flooding
1960-09-121960-09-12DR-106-FLMajor disasterHurricane DonnaHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1960-03-231960-03-23DR-97-FLMajor disasterSevere Weather ConditionsOther, not an NRI hazard; not counted
1953-10-221953-10-22DR-12-FLMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

17 Fire Management declarations (1985-05-17 to 1998-06-28) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Public Assistance not placed in any Florida county: 4 rows, $9,327,951.42; listed on the Florida state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Coastal Flooding0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave5000301996 to 2026-06-30Includes 4 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail46000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave1101001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane94041641996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Tropical Depression records.
Inland Flooding6101421996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind56223211955 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records.
Tornado26404211950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire1000501996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2022-09-28Hurricane (NOAA event type 'Hurricane (Typhoon)')category 1$1,400,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2022-06-24Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2017-05-27Wildfire$10,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2012-08-27Flood$150,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)0, 0OKEECHOBEE to SHERMANB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2011-04-28Hail2.5 in$0 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)0, 0OKEECHOBEEB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2010-12-27Frost/Freeze$0 property; $2,210,000 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Frost/Freeze
2010-12-14Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2005-10-24High Wind80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust$6,500,000 property; $21,000,000 crops (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone FLZ058 (OKEECHOBEE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2002-04-03Thunderstorm Wind80 kt (92 mph) estimated$5,000 property; $0 crops (2002 dollars)0, 0OKEECHOBEEB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1996-05-12TornadoF0, 0.1 mi within this county, 20 yd wide$50,000 property; $0 crops (1996 dollars)1, 0OKEECHOBEEdeaths or injuries recorded
1982-09-26TornadoF2, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 60 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1982 dollars)1, 7location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded
1972-06-18TornadoF2, 4.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 150 yd wide$500,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars)6, 44TAYLOR CREEK to OKEECHOBEEdeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (150 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Coastal Flooding0.012events per year at a location (modeled)about 0.012 per year at a given location in the countyStorm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Cold Wave2.74event-days per yearabout 2.74 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)52.12005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought22.7event-days per yearabout 22.7 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)6932000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.000287annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0287%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail1.27events per yearabout 1.27 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)48.6 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave2.68event-days per yearabout 2.68 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)372005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.304events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1011851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Inland Flooding0.214event-days per yearabout 0.214 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)61996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.0799events per year (modeled)about 1 in 13 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning94days per year with a strikeabout 94 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.645events per yearabout 0.64 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)221986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.586events per yearabout 0.59 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00791annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.791%PossibleStorm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather0event-days per yearnone modeledStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)02005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events winter weather record, 1996 to 2025

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202518300.6
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202521300.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20255300.167
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20258300.267
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20258300.267
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20253300.1
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Coastal Flooding0 of 11No Rating 11
Cold Wave11 of 1120.227.092.6Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 8
Drought8 of 1168.979.594.9Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 3, Very Low 4, No Rating 3
Earthquake11 of 116.513.320.2Very Low 11
Hail11 of 1125.332.152.3Relatively Low 2, Very Low 9
Heat Wave11 of 1116.435.546.8Relatively Low 10, Very Low 1
Hurricane11 of 1188.894.198.5Very High 3, Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 1
Inland Flooding11 of 1141.883.299.0Very High 3, Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 4, Relatively Low 1
Landslide11 of 1123.061.176.1Very Low 11
Lightning11 of 1190.697.999.1Very High 7, Relatively High 4
Strong Wind11 of 1180.791.999.3Very High 3, Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 1
Tornado11 of 1142.952.563.7Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 6
Wildfire11 of 1191.893.697.0Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 9
Winter Weather0 of 11No Rating 11

Cold Wave: Agriculture is 98% of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, lightning and strong wind are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Okeechobee County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2027-01-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 18$10,001,076.350 total; 0 since its planIncludes $53,945.31 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4486-FL).
Okeechobee cityCityApproved, expires 2027-01-05FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$405,672.9648 total; 2 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2022-01-05county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Coastal Flooding$744,296,178n/a5,899$0n/a$00%
Cold Wave$6,803,770,973$303,744,44339,455$8,115$758,400$5,2830.000119%
Droughtn/a$24,916,232n/an/a$81,936n/a0.329% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$11,961,209,254n/a39,644$15,373n/a$7,2490.000129%
Hail$6,803,770,973$303,744,44339,455$1,536$10,829$13,225under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$6,803,770,973$303,744,44339,455$12$222$194,305under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$6,803,658,662$303,649,54239,453$6,131,930$3,065,866$355,3020.0901%$1,400,000$5,944,481.80
Inland Flooding$6,793,640,406$114,586,8958,776$12,222,510$166,889$2,443n/a (see note)$0$1,226,039.71NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$25,901,691n/a179$101n/a$10.000389%
Lightning$6,803,770,973n/a39,455$16,187n/a$710,8810.000238%
Strong Wind$6,803,770,973$303,744,44339,455$654,553$524,702$117,3870.00962%$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Tornado$6,803,770,973$303,744,44339,455$255,861$5,539$376,8090.00376%$5,600,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Wildfire$1,227,272,523$224,016,31514,018$719,174$12,601$123,2130.0586%
Winter Weather$0$00$0$0$0building exposure is 0 in NRI

Totals since 2022-01-05 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 7 county-coded records, 7 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $5,600,000; 5 zone-level records, 3 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $1,400,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $5,944,481.80 on 8 counted declarations, 3 of them with Public Assistance.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population39,455
Building value (total, not at risk)$6,803,770,973
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$303,744,443
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$24,652,336
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$1,906,098
Social vulnerability ratingVery High
Community resilience ratingVery Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition19Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total001901905
of which: Okeechobee County (unincorporated area)001801804
of which: Okeechobee city0010101
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file01901001

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Okeechobee County (unincorporated area)120177001801804
Okeechobee city1201780010101

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential001801805
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0010100
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 19 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Okeechobee County, FL: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 12093). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/fl/12093/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org