Oklahoma Water Resources Board the Water Agency

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Oklahoma Flood Plan

In the wake of historic flooding, the 2020 Oklahoma legislature passed Senate Bill 1269 to create Oklahoma's first statewide flood planning initiative. The Oklahoma Flood Plan, integrated with the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP), will raise awareness and motivate actions to reduce flood risk. At the community level, the plan will identify mitigation projects and provide a foundational structure for initiating and coordinating successful floodplain management programs.

The OWRB is currently gathering information for the development of the Oklahoma Flood Plan. Those wishing to participate are encouraged to complete a survey and identify flood prone areas in their community.

OWRB and the National Flood Insurance Program

For more than 50 years, the OWRB has been the coordinating state agency for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in Oklahoma. As the NFIP State Coordinator, the Water Board partners with other state and federal agencies and local governments to prevent and mitigate the catastrophic effects of flooding disasters in Oklahoma.

The NFIP is a federal initiative that provides communities with a mechanism for implementing sound floodplain management techniques. This effective quid pro quo approach to floodplain management makes affordable flood insurance available for citizens in participating communities that enact and adhere to sound regulations that guide development in floodplains. In return, the NFIP requires the community to adopt a floodplain management ordinance containing certain minimum requirements intended to reduce future flood losses. The OWRB promotes community enrollment in the NFIP and advises the over 400 current participating communities on steps to ensure future participation.

The Oklahoma Floodplain Management Act, passed in 1980, authorizes communities (cities, towns, and counties) to develop and enforce floodplain regulations in designated flood hazard areas. An amendment in 2004 calls for community floodplain administrators to become accredited through the OWRB, ensuring that these officials are properly trained to effectively administer local floodplain regulations.





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Last updated: May 17, 2023

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