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Watts, Oklahoma

19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Watts census division. It lies in ZIP code area 74964. The Survey maps it on the Watts quadrangle. 227 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 981 feet above sea level.

Watts within Adair County

Population over time

2 figures

Watts fell from 324 to 227 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
2010324
2020227-97 (-30%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 19 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

223 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 223 fires within 5 miles of Watts between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,274 acres in total. 9 started naturally. 87 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
Arson/incendiarism87
Missing data/not specified/undetermined50
Debris and open burning40
Natural9
Smoking9
Railroad operations and maintenance9
Equipment and vehicle use8
Recreation and ceremony6
Misuse of fire by a minor5

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
5 September 2000Naturalunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
2 September 1999Debris and open burning4.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
12 September 1998Recreation and ceremony2.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
10 September 1998Smoking3.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
10 September 1998Arson/incendiarismunder an acreOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
1 September 1999Natural1.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
7 August 1998Smoking3.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestrynot named
5 August 2012Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresOklahoma Division of Forestry30358

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Adair County

Mines and quarries near this place

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Watts: 2 unknowns, 2 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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
Unknown Limestone PitStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnkSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Adair County

Storms near this place

48 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Watts in 48 storm reports between 1993 and 2022: 23 flood, 11 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
April 2001Thunderstorm WindWatts$100,000Very strong thunderstorm winds associated with a downburst damaged seven dwellings including 4 mobile homes and three wood framed houses. Another house was damaged as a large tree fell on it. Two barns were competely destroyed and a small shed was overturned. Numerous other trees and power lines were blown down as well.
January 2008HailWatts$10,000no account filed
May 2008Thunderstorm WindWatts$1,000Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWatts$300Several trees were blown down.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindWatts$100Several large tree limbs were blown down in Watts.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindWatts$100no account filed
May 2022FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 1:45 am CDT on May 5th. The river crested at 27.50 feet at 2:30 pm CDT on the 5th, resulting in major flooding. This was the fourth highest crest on record at this site. Disastrous flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend, with many permanent campgrounds and cabins overtopped. Monetary damage from this flood was unknown. The river fell below flood stage at 4:00 pm CDT on the 6th.
April 2021FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 10:30 am CDT on April 28th. The river crested at 23.97 feet at 8:00 pm CDT on the 28th, resulting in major flooding. Very severe flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend. Permanent buildings and cabins were flooded to a depth of several feet. Monetary damage from this flood is unknown. The river fell below flood stage at 1:15 am CDT on the 30th.
January 2020FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 7:00 am CST on January 11th. The river crested at 17.90 feet at 4:00 pm CST on the 11th, resulting in moderate flooding. Farmland and permanent campgrounds were flooded from the Arkansas border to near Fidler's Bend. The river fell below flood stage at 11:15 pm CST on the 11th.
March 2020FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 2:45 pm CDT on March 19th. The river crested at 22.00 feet at 2:30 am CDT on the 20th, resulting in moderate flooding. Severe flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend, with numerous cabins and permanent campgrounds flooded. The river fell below flood stage at 4:15 pm CDT on the 20th.
May 2020Tornado (EF1)Watts-This tornado uprooted trees and snapped large tree limbs. It was recorded by a tower camera in West Siloam Springs, and was witnessed by several storm chasers. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 85 to 90 mph.
June 2019FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 10:45 am CDT on June 7th. The river crested at 17.48 feet at 3:30 pm CDT on the 7th, resulting in moderate flooding. Farmland and permanent campgrounds were flooded from the Arkansas border to near Fidler's Bend. The river fell below flood stage at 9:45 pm CDT on the 7th.
October 2019FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 4:30 pm CDT on October 6th. The river crested at 24.11 feet at 9:30 pm CDT on the 6th, resulting in major flooding. Very severe flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend. Permanent buildings and cabins were flooded to a depth of several feet. Monetary damage from this flood is unknown. The river fell below flood stage at 2:45 pm CDT on the 7th.
June 2019FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 3:15 pm CDT on June 23rd. The river crested at 19.99 feet at 5:30 am CDT on the 24th, resulting in moderate flooding. Farmland and permanent campgrounds were flooded from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend. The river fell below flood stage at 2:00 pm CDT on the 24th.
September 2019Flash FloodWatts-Portions of Highway 59 north of Watts were closed due to flooding.
November 2019FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 3:30 pm CST on November 7th. The river crested at 17.06 feet at 10:00 pm CST on the 7th, resulting in moderate flooding. Farmlands and permanent campgrounds were flooded from the Arkansas border to Fidler's Bend. The river fell below flood stage at 3:45 am CST on the 8th.
May 2017FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 11:00 am CDT on April 29th. The river crested at 30.16 feet at 7:00 am CDT on the 30th, resulting in record flooding. Disastrous flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge, with many permanent campgrounds and cabins overtopped. Monetary damage estimates were not available. The river remained in flood through the end of April, then fell below flood stage at 8:30 am CDT on May 1st.
May 2017FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 3:00 pm CDT on May 20th. The river crested at 17.32 feet at 10:00 pm CDT on the 20th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 5:00 am CDT on the 21st.
April 2017FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 11:30 pm CDT on April 21st. The river crested at 19.41 feet at 1:00 pm CDT on the 22nd, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 10:45 pm CDT on the 22nd.
April 2017FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 11:00 am CDT on April 29th. The river crested at 30.16 feet at 7:00 am CDT on the 30th, resulting in record flooding. Disastrous flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge, with many permanent campgrounds and cabins overtopped. Monetary damage estimates were not available. The river remained in flood through the end of April, then fell below flood stage at 8:30 am CDT on May 1st.
April 2017FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 7:45 pm CDT on April 26th. The river crested at 19.58 feet at 2:00 am CDT on the 27th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 11:30 am CDT on the 27th.
June 2015FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 9:00 am CDT on June 19th. The river crested at 19.28 feet at 7:00 pm CDT on the 19th, resulting in moderate flooding. Flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge with pastureland and campgrounds impacted. Several cabins in Fidlers Bend were flooded. The river fell below flood stage at 4:00 am CDT on the 20th.
December 2015FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 12:15 am CST on December 27th. The river crested at 28.64 feet at 2:00 am CST on the 28th, resulting in record flooding. Disastrous flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge, with many permanent campgrounds and cabins overtopped. Monetary damage estimates were not available. The river fell below flood stage at 10:30 am CST on the 29th.
March 2015Tornado (EF0)Watts-Storm chasers saw a brief tornado. Power flashes were observed under a tapered funnel cloud.
May 2013FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 9:00 am CDT on May 10th. The river crested at 18.77 feet at 7:00 pm CDT on the 10th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 3:00 am CDT on the 11th.
April 2011Flash FloodWatts-Several water rescues were necessary due to flooding near Watts and Westville.
May 2011FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 8:15 pm CDT on May 23rd. The river crested at 25.19 feet at 7:00 am CDT on the 24th, resulting in major flooding. This was the 3rd highest recorded level of the river at Watts to date. Very severe flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey bridge. Many cabins in the Fidlers Bend area were flooded. Monetary damage estimates were not available. The river fell below flood stage at 10:30 pm CDT on the 25th.
April 2011FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 1:45 am CDT on April 24th. The river crested at 28.60 feet at 3:00 am CDT on the 26th, resulting in a record flood. Disastrous flooding occurred from the Arkansas border to the Chewey Bridge with many permanent campgrounds and cabins overtopped. The worst damage occurred in the Fidler's Bend area. Monetary damage estimates were not available. The river fell below its flood stage at 3:30 am CDT on the 27th.
October 2009FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 6:15 a.m. CDT on October 9th. The river crested at 22.00 feet at 8:00 p.m. CDT on the 9th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 12:30 p.m. CDT on the 10th.
May 2009Flash FloodWatts-Heavy rain caused water to flow over roads in the northern part of Adair County.
January 2008Tornado (EF0)Watts-Multiple spotters reported a brief tornado touchdown over open country. An NWS survey team found no damage associated with the tornado.
April 2008FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 4:54 am cdt on April 1st. The river crested at 18.34 feet at 2 pm cdt the same day. This crest classified the flood as a moderate flood. The river fell below its flood stage at 9 pm cdt also on the same day.
April 2008FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 12:52 pm cdt on April 10th. The river crested at 22.70 feet at 2 am cdt on April 11th. This crest classified the flood as a moderate flood. The river fell below its flood stage at 3:42 pm cdt on April 11th.
March 2008FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 3 p.m. cdt on March 19th. The river crested at 24.73 feet before falling below its flood stage at 5:30 a.m. cdt the next day. This crest classified the flood as being in the major category. This crest tied for the 3rd highest crest recorded at this site. Flooding occurred from near the Arkansas border to near the Chewey Bridge. Cabins were flooded with several feet of water in the Fidlers Bend area.
September 2008FloodWatts-The Illinois River near Watts rose above its flood stage of 13 feet at 8:15 pm cdt on the 14th. The river crested at 17.1 feet at 1 am cdt on the 15th. This crest classified the flood as moderate. The river fell below its flood stage at 4 am cdt on the 15th.
May 2009HailWatts-no account filed
January 2008HailWatts-no account filed
March 2006HailWatts-no account filed
March 2006HailWatts-no account filed
April 2006HailWatts-no account filed
January 2005HailWatts-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindWatts-no account filed
May 2004HailWatts-no account filed
June 2004HailWatts-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindWatts-no account filed
October 1996HailWatts-no account filed
April 1993Tornado (F0)Watts-no account filed
October 1993HailWatts-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Adair 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
Ballard1.4 miles19
Chance5.6 miles18
Westville8.1 miles17
Going Snake9.1 miles17
Strawberry Spring9.3 miles17
Green9.6 miles17
Chewey10.5 miles18
Addielee11.0 miles17

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 WattsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q3287180The 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 1099434. 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.