Home › Louisiana › Bossier Parish

Bossier Parish, Louisiana

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

Relatively Moderate overall risk
23rd of 64highest risk in Louisiana
$48Mexpected losses a year
33federal declarations
1 in 11homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Bossier Parish, Louisiana has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 82% of US counties. It ranks 23rd of 64 parishes in Louisiana. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, heat waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $48 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $370 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (19 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 11 homes here carry federal flood insurance (4,142 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $26 million on 1,107 claims here, including $12 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 Bossier Parish

$15.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times 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.
$13.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 21 times a year.
  • Check that cooling works before summer.
  • Know where the nearest cooling center is.

Tornado

Moderate
$5.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate74.0
$15M
Heat waveHigh97.9
$14M
TornadoModerate85.8
$5M
Ice stormVery High99.4
$4M
HailModerate92.4
$2M
Strong windHigh88.6
$2M
Cold waveLow65.2
$2M
LightningHigh92.8
$1M
HurricaneLow74.8
$935K
EarthquakeLow72.0
$886K
DroughtLow63.0
$330K
Winter weatherLow51.4
$65K
WildfireVery Low38.6
$23K
LandslideVery Low43.8
$849

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 relatively moderate 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 Bossier Parish. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane17
Flood4
Severe Storm4
Severe Ice Storm3
Coastal Storm2
Snowstorm1

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
Oct 27, 2020Tropical Storm ZetaEmergency
Oct 16, 2020Hurricane DeltaMajor disaster
Oct 7, 2020Hurricane DeltaEmergency
Show all 33
Sep 14, 2020Hurricane SallyEmergency
Aug 28, 2020Hurricane LauraMajor disaster
Aug 23, 2020Tropical Storms Laura and MarcoEmergency
Jun 7, 2020Tropical Storm CristobalEmergency
Mar 13, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 13, 2015Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Dec 10, 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 2, 2008Hurricane GustavMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Aug 29, 2005Hurricane KatrinaMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Sep 15, 2004Hurricane IvanMajor disaster
Jan 12, 2001Severe Winter Ice StormMajor disaster
Apr 9, 1999Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 28, 1994Severe Winter Ice StormMajor disaster
May 3, 1991Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 23, 1991Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 17, 1989Tropical Storm AllisonMajor disaster
Dec 6, 1978Severe Storms & TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 22, 1977Drought & FreezingEmergency

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

Storm history since 1950

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 1,118 storm reports in Bossier Parish since 1950, with 28 deaths and 430 injuries and about $383 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F4 tornado on February 12, 1950.

75tornadoes
399hail reports, largest 4.5 inches
469damaging thunderstorm winds
155floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Feb 12, 1950F4–37 / 9
Apr 3, 1999F4Bossier City90 / 7
Dec 3, 1978F4–266 / 2
Jan 22, 1957F3–9 / 3
May 2, 1984F3–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Dec 3, 1978Tornado–$250M
Apr 22, 1995HailBossier City$50M
May 2, 1984Tornado–$25M
Mar 12, 2002LightningBarksdale AFB$10M
Apr 3, 1999TornadoBossier City$7M
Jun 1, 2015FloodFerry$6M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 13, 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 1865, 1 hurricane and 12 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Bossier Parish, 5 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Laura (2020), with top winds near 80 mph about 57 miles away.

1hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
12tropical storms
2020most recent: Laura

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 27, 2020LauraCategory 1, 80 mph57 mi
Aug 23, 1879UnnamedTropical storm, 65 mph65 mi
Oct 13, 1886UnnamedTropical storm, 65 mph55 mi
Jul 6, 1891UnnamedTropical storm, 55 mph59 mi
Sep 14, 1865UnnamedTropical storm, 55 mph63 mi
Aug 7, 1918UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph63 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 27, 2020LauraCategory 1, 80 mph57 mi
Jul 14, 2019BarryTropical storm, 40 mph60 mi
Jun 22, 2017CindyTropical storm, 40 mph63 mi
Aug 30, 2012IsaacTropical storm, 40 mph64 mi
Sep 24, 2005RitaTropical storm, 50 mph57 mi
Sep 20, 1947UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph61 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 Bossier Parish

Check your address flood zone ›
9.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (4,142 policies)
48.4%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$26.1 millionpaid on 1,107 flood claims since 1978
2016costliest year, with $12.1 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 Bossier Parish

$227,200median home value (Louisiana $216,500, US $332,700)
1991median year homes were built (Louisiana 1983, US 1980)
36%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
13.2%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; 56,743 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
Caddo ParishModerate32
Miller County, ARLow19
Webster ParishLow34
Bienville ParishVery Low33
Red River ParishVery Low30
Lafayette County, ARVery Low19

Cities in Bossier Parish

Common questions about Bossier Parish

What is the biggest natural hazard in Bossier Parish?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Bossier Parish, about $15.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Heat wave is second at $13.8 million.

How many federal disasters has Bossier Parish had?

Bossier Parish has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 19 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Bossier Parish a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 23rd 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 Bossier Parish?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 11 homes in Bossier 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 Bossier Parish had?

NOAA records list 75 tornadoes in Bossier Parish since 1950. The strongest was an F4 tornado on February 12, 1950. The weather service has also logged 399 hail reports and 155 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Bossier Parish?

NOAA's hurricane records show 1 hurricane and 12 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Bossier Parish. The strongest was Hurricane Laura (2020), with winds near 80 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.