Sequoyah County, Oklahoma
A shallow water table limits basements on 26% of Sequoyah County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 6%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 12 flood losses here since 2016. 38% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1986.
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 Sequoyah County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 6.4% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 25.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 90.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 2.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.7% |
| Mapped soil | 457,748 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Linker | 22% | n/a |
| Hector | 20% | n/a |
| Enders | 15% | n/a |
| Stigler | 9% | n/a |
| Shermore | 5% | n/a |
| Guyton | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OK135 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
On 26% of Sequoyah 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: 40.53 in, 9.11 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 49.64 in.
USDA rates 91% 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 34 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 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 | 99% |
| D4 exceptional | 38% |
Flood losses since 2016
12 flood losses since 2016, $751,681 paid. The worst year was 2019, with 4.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 49.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 40.53 in (-9.11) |
| 2025 | 54.07 in (+4.43) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2015: 76.23 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1963: 24.69 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FT SMITH RGNL AP (25 mi away) | 14 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,367 |
| Median year built | 1986 |
| Built before 1980 | 38% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $139,400 |
| Single-family detached | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haskell County, OK | 27 mi | 32% | 36% |
| Adair County, OK | 28 mi | 14% | 21% |
| Crawford County, AR | 29 mi | 16% | 15% |
| Cherokee County, OK | 31 mi | 16% | 20% |
| Sebastian County, AR | 34 mi | 5% | 46% |
| Muskogee County, OK | 36 mi | 35% | 48% |
| Le Flore County, OK | 42 mi | 33% | 30% |
| Washington County, AR | 44 mi | 20% | 24% |
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