Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33% of Le Flore County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. A shallow water table limits basements on 30%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 13 flood losses here since 2016. 43% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1985.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Le Flore County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 32.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 30.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.7% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 38.9% |
| Mapped soil | 1,028,960 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Carnasaw | 22% | 86% |
| Bengal | 11% | n/a |
| Pirum | 8% | n/a |
| Neff | 7% | n/a |
| Octavia | 6% | n/a |
| Stigler | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK079 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.7% by land area here, and 39% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 33% of Le Flore County's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 30% of Le Flore County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.02 in, 8.44 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 51.46 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 16 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 19.8% |
| D4 exceptional | 1.4% |
Flood losses since 2016
13 flood losses since 2016, $449,480 paid. The worst year was 2020, with 7.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 51.46 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.02 in (-8.44) |
| 2025 | 56.12 in (+4.66) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 78.19 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 22.97 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FANSHAWE (13 mi away) | 16.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 21,249 |
| Median year built | 1985 |
| Built before 1980 | 43% |
| Built 2000 or later | 26% |
| Owner-occupied | 73% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $135,700 |
| Single-family detached | 75% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian County, AR | 32 mi | 5% | 46% |
| Haskell County, OK | 32 mi | 32% | 36% |
| Latimer County, OK | 33 mi | 50% | 29% |
| Scott County, AR | 36 mi | 35% | 15% |
| Polk County, AR | 39 mi | 5% | 14% |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 42 mi | 6% | 26% |
| Crawford County, AR | 54 mi | 16% | 15% |
| McCurtain County, OK | 54 mi | 37% | 28% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status