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Pocola, Oklahoma

23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1887 and the latest in 1987. It stands in the Pocola census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74902. The Survey maps it on the Hackett quadrangle. 4,255 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 482 feet above sea level.

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Pocola within Le Flore County

Population over time

2 figures

Pocola grew from 4,056 to 4,255 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20104,056
20204,255+199 (+5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

12 surveys from 23 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

33 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 33 fires within 5 miles of Pocola between 1993 and 2019, burning about 797 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 5 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined11
Debris and open burning8
Equipment and vehicle use5
Arson/incendiarism5
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
28 September 1994Missing data/not specified/undetermined4.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
15 September 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
8 August 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
30 August 2006Equipment and vehicle use4.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestry20463
20 August 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
15 August 2001Equipment and vehicle use4.0 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
4 July 2012Arson/incendiarism12 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named
30 July 1999Smoking1.0 acresArkansas Forestry Commissionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Le Flore County

Mines and quarries near this place

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Pocola: 4 producers, 2 past producers. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, Dimension, Clay. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Ibison PitStone, DimensionPast Producer
Unknown Shale PitClayPast Producer
Building Stone QuarrySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hamilton PitStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Miller PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Rock Island StoneStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Le Flore County

Storms near this place

60 of 62 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Pocola in 62 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 31 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 4 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 1997Thunderstorm WindPocola4 hurt, $540,000no account filed
May 2015Flash FloodPocola$75,000A low water bridge was washed out by high water. Portions of Barnes Road were washed out by flooding.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindPocola$70,000Strong winds damaged three mobile homes in Pocola. Trees falling onto power lines caused power outages to 2,000 electric customers in Pocola, Scullyville, and Murry Spur.
June 2009HailPocola$50,000no account filed
May 1993Thunderstorm WindPocola$50,000no account filed
April 2017HailPocola$25,000no account filed
March 2026Thunderstorm WindPocola$10,000Strong thunderstorm wind damaged an outbuilding.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindPocola$10,000A few homes sustained roof damage and one barn was damaged by strong thunderstorm winds.
July 2004Thunderstorm WindPocola$10,000Thunderstorm winds estimated in excess of 70 miles an hour blew the roof off a trailer home.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindPocola$5,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree limbs and power lines.
March 2009Thunderstorm WindPocola$5,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down power lines and destroyed a barn.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindPocola$5,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 80 miles an hour blew part of a roof off a building. Numerous trees and large tree limbs were blown down as well.
November 1998Tornado (F1)Pocola$5,000A tornado touched down about halfway between Pocola and Arkoma, moving to the northeast across the Arkansas state line. This tornado continued through the Fort Smith area, producing F1 damage and a 5-mile path length before finally lifting at the Fort Smith Regional Airport. Only one mile of the tornado's path was in Oklahoma. The tornado was 200 yards wide at its widest point in Arkansas. The tornado caused quite a bit of damage in the Fort Smith area but caused relatively little damage in Oklahoma.For more information on this tornado, see the separate entry for it in the northwest Arkansas Storm Data.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindPocola$3,000Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous power lines.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPocola$2,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew off shingles from a roof.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindPocola$2,000Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees and snapped power lines.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindPocola$1,000Thunderstorm wind estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPocola-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured to 60 mph by a storm spotter.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindPocola-Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to 65 mph.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindPocola-Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees and snapped numerous large tree limbs.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindPocola-Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs.
May 2011Flash FloodPocola-Several streets in and around Pocola were impassable due to high water.
April 2011Flash FloodPocola-Several county roads around Pocola were flooded.
March 2010Thunderstorm WindPocola-Five inch diameter tree limbs were blown down.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindPocola-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a few trees.
September 2008Flash FloodPocola-Four to six inches of rain caused flooding, which resulted in a road in Pocola to be closed.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindPocola-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew trees down.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindPocola-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a few trees.
March 1997HailPocola-Isolated severe thunderstorms developed in Le Flore County of southeast Oklahoma during the early afternoon of March 1st. The storms produced nickel size hail 1 mile southwest of Heavener and 4 miles southwest of Heavener and dime size hail 3 miles west of Pocola.
June 1995HailPocola-Severe thunderstorms developed in eastern Oklahoma during the afternoon of June 23rd. Strong thunderstorm winds in the city of Tulsa downed trees at the intersection of 56th Street South and Mingo Road and also downed five-inch-diameter tree limbs near the intersection of 36th Street South and 134th East Avenue. Trees were also blown down in downtown Tulsa by 60 mph winds. Golf ball-size hail fell at the intersection of 56th Street South and Mingo Road in the city of Tulsa, and nickel-size hail fell at Pocola, at the Timber Ridge Industrial Park three miles northeast of Broken Arrow, and at a couple other locations in the city of Tulsa. Dime- to nickel-size hail fell at Stilwell, and dime-size hail fell at several other locations in eastern Oklahoma. Very heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms also resulted in major street flooding in the city of Tulsa. Water covered some roads in Tulsa to a depth of three to four feet, and several vehicles were stranded in high water.
March 1993HailPocola-Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms developed in southwestern Oklahoma during the afternoon hours on the 29th and moved eastward into central and eastern Oklahoma during the evening and nighttime hours. Four weak tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma with this outbreak of severe weather. An F0 tornado occurred 2 miles west of Elk City and knocked down power poles and power lines. An F0 tornado briefly touched down in an open field in extreme southeast Tillman County 6 miles southeast of Grandfield, with no damage reported. The third tornado had the longest path of the four. This tornado traveled along a 5-mile path from 4 miles east of Alex to 3 miles west of Criner. The tornado was narrowrow (35 yards wide) and produced mainly F0 damage with a small area of F1 damage in McClain County. The fourth tornado developed after midnight in Lincoln County and moved into Okfuskee County along its 4.5-mile path from two miles southeast of Prague to 2.5 miles west-southwest of Paden. The tornado was an F1 and averaged 100 yards in width. The tornado rolled an abandoned bus 75 feet to the east-southeast and lifted a camper trailer 75 feet to the north. The tornado also tossed an 18-foot horse trailer into a barn, demolishing both structures. The tornado produced an estimated $250,000 in damage. Large hail also accompanied many of the storms. Softball-size hail was reported in Texola and near Sayre. Baseball-size hail fell shortly before 2200 CST and then again after 2300 CST in Waurika. The large hail in combination with strong winds and flash flooding caused between $250,000 and $500,000 in damage in Waurika. Numerous other locations in southwest Oklahoma received quarter- to golfball-size hail. Strong winds also caused widespread damage throughout southwest, central, and eastern Oklahoma. During the evening hours, a very small but intense microburst destroyed a building in Verden. Damage was estimated at $45,000. Strong thunderstorm winds near 70 mph blew out windows at several businesses in Frederick and blew a portion of the roof off the Frederick Middle School. Strong thunderstorm winds blew down a power line near Hammon, and winds estimated at between 70 and 80 mph occurred near Granite. In Dover, a downburst produced winds estimated at 60 mph which destroyed a mobile home, downed a power pole and some trees and broke off numerous tree limbs up to 10 inches in diameter. In Okmulgee County, severe thunderstorm winds during the early morning hours of the 30th blew an unoccupied mobile home over 5 miles to the west of Beggs. Strong winds in Alex broke off tree limbs, downed several power poles, and tore part of a roof off of a house. High winds from a thunderstorm, severely damaged a sheet metal barn and blew down trees 2 miles south-southeast of Prague. Winds from severe thunderstorms blew down numerous trees along a path from 2 miles southeast of Prague to 4 miles east of Prague. Strong winds downed trees 5 miles south of Randlett. Widespread flash flooding was reported with these storms. High water in Waurika flooded three homes. One home which was not occupied had about a foot of water flowing through it. A few other homes in Waurika were sandbagged to help keep flood waters out. In Cotton County, water was flowing over Highway 36 south of Route 70, over a road 1 to 2 miles south of Randlett, and over a roadway 3 miles south and 0.5 mile west of Devol during the evening hours of the 29th. Near Comanche travel was reduced to one lane due to water covering Highway 81. In Jefferson County, high water covered Highway 81 about 2 miles north of Addington. Lightning strikes also caused damage during these storms. A home in Shattuck was struck by lightning. The fire resulting from the lightning damaged electronic equipment and started a grass fire in the backyard of the home. A fire from a lightning strike destroyed a trailer 2 miles west of Comanche. A lightning strike to a home 6 miles north of Waurika resulted in minor damage. In Quinton, lightning struck and killed several cattle.
October 2022HailPocola-no account filed
April 2020HailPocola-no account filed
March 2019HailPocola-no account filed
April 2017HailPocola-no account filed
April 2016HailPocola-no account filed
March 2015HailPocola-no account filed
July 2012HailPocola-no account filed
July 2012HailPocola-no account filed
February 2009HailPocola-no account filed
May 2008HailPocola-no account filed
January 2006HailPocola-no account filed
April 2006HailPocola-no account filed
May 2006Thunderstorm WindPocola-no account filed
March 2004HailPocola-no account filed
June 2004HailPocola-no account filed
May 2004HailPocola-no account filed
July 2004HailPocola-no account filed
August 2003Thunderstorm WindPocola-no account filed
May 2003HailPocola-no account filed
May 2003HailPocola-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindPocola-no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindPocola-no account filed
June 2001HailPocola-no account filed
May 2000HailPocola-no account filed
May 2000HailPocola-no account filed
May 1998HailPocola-no account filed
April 1998HailPocola-no account filed
February 1998HailPocola-no account filed
February 1997Tornado (F0)Pocola-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Le Flore County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Cedar Knobb1.9 miles23
Rock Island3.4 miles23
Cedars3.5 miles25
Braden3.9 miles15
Murry Spur4.2 miles15
Williams5.9 miles14
Skullyville6.2 miles14
Fort Coffee6.9 miles15

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on PocolaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2198735The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1100754. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.