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Madison Parish, Louisiana

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

Very Low overall risk
51st of 64highest risk in Louisiana
$6Mexpected losses a year
31federal declarations
1 in 14homes with flood insurance
Photo: aidankinser, public domain

Madison Parish, Louisiana has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 68% of US counties. It ranks 51st of 64 parishes in Louisiana. The costliest hazards here are tornadoes, inland flooding and drought. FEMA estimates about $6.2 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $620 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (17 major disasters). The most recent was in February 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 14 homes here carry federal flood insurance (242 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $2.7 million on 250 claims here.

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

Top risks in Madison Parish

Tornado

Moderate
$1.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 1 years.
  • 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.
$1.3 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.

Drought

Moderate
$909,061 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 21 times a year.
  • Check local water restrictions.
  • Choose drought-tolerant plants.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
TornadoModerate71.9
$2M
Inland floodingVery Low18.0
$1M
DroughtModerate88.9
$909K
Strong windModerate77.9
$716K
Heat waveLow63.6
$407K
HailLow72.9
$380K
HurricaneLow69.6
$337K
Cold waveLow32.3
$277K
EarthquakeVery Low49.8
$163K
Ice stormLow56.1
$66K
LightningLow28.4
$61K
Winter weatherVery Low5.7
$2K
WildfireVery Low4.9
$932
LandslideVery Low17.6
$52

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 Madison Parish. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane16
Flood5
Severe Storm3
Coastal Storm2
Severe Ice Storm2
Winter Storm2

Most recent

Feb 18, 2026Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
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
Show all 31
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
Mar 13, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 22, 2013Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Aug 18, 2011FloodingMajor disaster
May 6, 2011FloodingEmergency
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
May 3, 1991Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
May 20, 1989Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Nov 30, 1987Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 27, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1960

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 349 storm reports in Madison Parish since 1960, with 11 deaths and 52 injuries and about $96.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F5 tornado on February 21, 1971.

65tornadoes
88hail reports, largest 4.25 inches
171damaging thunderstorm winds
24floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Feb 21, 1971F5–9 / 11
Apr 24, 2010EF3Quebec16 / 0
Apr 1, 1983F3–0 / 0
Apr 1, 1983F3–0 / 0
Nov 21, 1992F3–2 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Sep 3, 2008Flash FloodAfton$36M
Apr 24, 2010TornadoQuebec$36M
Feb 21, 1971Tornado–$3M
Apr 1, 1983Tornado–$3M
Apr 1, 1983Tornado–$3M
Nov 21, 1992Tornado–$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 1, 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 1860, 2 hurricanes and 16 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Madison Parish, 9 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1909, with top winds near 85 mph about 51 miles away.

2hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
16tropical storms
2021most recent: Ida

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 21, 1909UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph51 mi
Aug 20, 1888UnnamedCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Oct 3, 1860UnnamedTropical storm, 65 mph60 mi
Sep 2, 1985ElenaTropical storm, 60 mph62 mi
Sep 10, 1965BetsyTropical storm, 60 mph65 mi
Jun 17, 1934UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph59 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 30, 2021IdaTropical storm, 45 mph62 mi
Oct 10, 2020DeltaTropical storm, 50 mph57 mi
Oct 3, 2002LiliTropical storm, 45 mph59 mi
Aug 26, 1992AndrewTropical storm, 40 mph59 mi
Sep 2, 1985ElenaTropical storm, 60 mph62 mi
Aug 16, 1985DannyTropical storm, 50 mph60 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 Madison Parish

Check your address flood zone ›
6.9%of homes have federal flood insurance (242 policies)
21.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$2.7 millionpaid on 250 flood claims since 1978
2013costliest year, with $744,576 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 Madison Parish

$96,200median home value (Louisiana $216,500, US $332,700)
1975median year homes were built (Louisiana 1983, US 1980)
59%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
12.4%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; 4,379 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
Warren County, MSModerate31
Richland ParishVery Low34
Franklin ParishVery Low40
East Carroll ParishVery Low30
Tensas ParishVery Low27

Common questions about Madison Parish

What is the biggest natural hazard in Madison Parish?

Tornado has the highest expected yearly losses in Madison Parish, about $1.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $1.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Madison Parish had?

Madison Parish has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 17 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in February 2026.

Is Madison Parish a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 51st 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 Madison Parish?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 14 homes in Madison 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 Madison Parish had?

NOAA records list 65 tornadoes in Madison Parish since 1950. The strongest was an F5 tornado on February 21, 1971. The weather service has also logged 88 hail reports and 24 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Madison Parish?

NOAA's hurricane records show 2 hurricanes and 16 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Madison Parish. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1909, with winds near 85 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.