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Acadia Parish, Louisiana

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Moderate overall risk
15th of 64highest risk in Louisiana
$51Mexpected losses a year
39federal declarations
1 in 11homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Acadia Parish, Louisiana has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 89% of US counties. It ranks 15th of 64 parishes in Louisiana. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $51 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $882 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (23 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 11 homes here carry federal flood insurance (2,184 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $37 million on 1,481 claims here, including $22 million for floods in 2016.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Acadia Parish

$21.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$19.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Cold wave

Moderate
$3.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneHigh96.7
$22M
Inland floodingModerate86.4
$19M
Cold waveModerate84.6
$3M
TornadoModerate71.5
$2M
DroughtHigh94.9
$2M
Heat waveModerate80.6
$1M
LightningHigh91.4
$883K
Ice stormModerate80.1
$275K
Strong windLow37.8
$260K
EarthquakeVery Low48.3
$170K
HailLow41.6
$128K
WildfireVery Low61.6
$64K
Coastal floodingLow45.4
$33K
Winter weatherLow35.2
$25K
LandslideVery Low13.8
$36

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very high and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Acadia Parish. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane26
Severe Storm4
Flood3
Coastal Storm3
Severe Ice Storm2
Winter Storm1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 10, 2024Tropical Storm FrancineEmergency
Sep 13, 2021Tropical Storm NicholasEmergency
Aug 29, 2021Hurricane IdaMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2021Tropical Storm IdaEmergency
Mar 9, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Feb 18, 2021Severe Winter StormEmergency
Jan 12, 2021Hurricane ZetaMajor disaster
Oct 27, 2020Tropical Storm ZetaEmergency
Oct 16, 2020Hurricane DeltaMajor disaster
Show all 39
Oct 7, 2020Hurricane DeltaEmergency
Sep 14, 2020Hurricane SallyEmergency
Aug 28, 2020Hurricane LauraMajor disaster
Aug 23, 2020Tropical Storms Laura and MarcoEmergency
Jun 7, 2020Tropical Storm CristobalEmergency
Jul 11, 2019Tropical Storm BarryEmergency
Oct 16, 2017Tropical Storm HarveyMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2017Tropical Storm HarveyEmergency
Aug 14, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 22, 2013Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2012Tropical Storm IsaacEmergency
Sep 13, 2008Hurricane IkeMajor disaster
Sep 2, 2008Hurricane GustavMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Nov 2, 2006Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Aug 29, 2005Hurricane KatrinaMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Jun 8, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 3, 2002Hurricane LiliMajor disaster
Sep 23, 1998Hurricane Georges/Ts FrancesMajor disaster
Aug 26, 1992Hurricane AndrewMajor disaster
May 20, 1989Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
May 21, 1980Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Nov 1, 1974Severe StormsMajor disaster
Oct 13, 1971Hurricane EdithMajor disaster
Sep 10, 1965Hurricane BetsyMajor disaster

Louisiana also had 9 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1952

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 366 storm reports in Acadia Parish since 1952, with 7 deaths and 120 injuries and about $349 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on October 29, 1974.

90tornadoes
64hail reports, largest 2 inches
168damaging thunderstorm winds
35floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Oct 29, 1974F3–40 / 2
Nov 7, 1957F3–5 / 2
May 17, 2020EF3Richard9 / 1
Feb 9, 1983F3–0 / 0
Apr 4, 1952F3–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 14, 2016FloodSilverwood$200M
Aug 12, 2016Flash FloodChurch Pt$45M
Jan 10, 2013FloodSilverwood$40M
Oct 29, 1974Tornado–$25M
Mar 5, 2011TornadoRayne$15M
Sep 11, 1998TornadoMidland$5M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 5, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1856, 21 hurricanes and 21 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Acadia Parish, 20 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Laura (2020), with top winds near 150 mph about 63 miles away.

21hurricanes
4major hurricanes (Category 3+)
21tropical storms
2020most recent: Delta

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 27, 2020LauraCategory 4, 150 mph63 mi
Aug 10, 1856UnnamedCategory 3, 125 mph63 mi
Sep 8, 1974CarmenCategory 3, 120 mph42 mi
Aug 6, 1918UnnamedCategory 3, 120 mph62 mi
Aug 26, 1992AndrewCategory 2, 105 mph62 mi
Sep 21, 1909UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph59 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 9, 2020DeltaCategory 2, 100 mph53 mi
Aug 27, 2020LauraCategory 4, 150 mph63 mi
Jul 13, 2019BarryCategory 1, 75 mph62 mi
Aug 30, 2017HarveyTropical storm, 45 mph64 mi
Aug 30, 2012IsaacTropical storm, 65 mph63 mi
Sep 1, 2008GustavCategory 1, 95 mph57 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Acadia Parish

Check your address flood zone ›
9.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (2,184 policies)
25.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$36.9 millionpaid on 1,481 flood claims since 1978
2016costliest year, with $22.3 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Acadia Parish

$155,500median home value (Louisiana $216,500, US $332,700)
1980median year homes were built (Louisiana 1983, US 1980)
50%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
17.5%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 25,107 housing units.

Compare in Louisiana

All 64 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
East Baton Rouge ParishHighInland flooding
Jefferson ParishHighHurricane
Orleans ParishHighHurricane
St. Tammany ParishHighHurricane
Lafayette ParishHighHurricane
Caddo ParishModerateInland flooding
Calcasieu ParishHighHurricane
Ouachita ParishModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Lafayette ParishHigh40
St. Landry ParishModerate43
Vermilion ParishModerate43
Evangeline ParishLow32
Jefferson Davis ParishLow40

Common questions about Acadia Parish

What is the biggest natural hazard in Acadia Parish?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Acadia Parish, about $21.9 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $19.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Acadia Parish had?

Acadia Parish has been included in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 23 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Acadia Parish a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 15th highest of 64 in Louisiana. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Acadia Parish?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 11 homes in Acadia Parish has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Acadia Parish had?

NOAA records list 90 tornadoes in Acadia Parish since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on October 29, 1974. The weather service has also logged 64 hail reports and 35 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Acadia Parish?

NOAA's hurricane records show 21 hurricanes and 21 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Acadia Parish, including 4 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Laura (2020), with winds near 150 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole parish, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.