City Of Tulsa Achieves 'Class 1' Ranking In National Flood Insurance Program

FEMA has recognized Tulsa for flood control improvements by increasing the discount for homeowners who buy flood insurance. On April 1, Tulsa will move to a Class-1 designation, which means flood insurance rates are 45-percent lower than high risk locations. Only one other city in the country has that designation.

Tulsa has a long history of flooding, especially along the Arkansas River and Bird Creek.

Catastrophic floods of the 1980's prompted prevention work still paying off today. When the Arkansas River flooded in 2019, the decades of work to prevent flood damage paid off - no homes flooded.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum thanked voters for continued support of taxes to improve flood control.

"You think about us going from, in the 1970's and 1980's being recognized as the most flood prone city in the whole country, to now being one of only two cities rates as class 1 city, by the national flood insurance program, it's a remarkable accomplishment," said Mayor Bynum.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said, “This is just reaching the top tier, that's why it's significant. You cannot get a safer, from a flood standpoint, community. I think it's saying something that only two cities in the country have this rating.”

Tulsa used a combination of buyouts, levees, and better drainage to help control flooding. Some water features like a pond in Veterans Park are actually holding areas that minimize flooding elsewhere - what FEMA considers a model for flooding solutions.

The Region 6 Administrator for FEMA, Tony Robinson, said “I hope this is a catalyst for other communities to see what happens when you bring a community together, with results not only in a reduced flood insurance rate, but also in the protection of the community."

The rate changes in Tulsa will take effect April 1.