Enter any address in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Ouachita Parish County. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 106 flash flood events, resulting in 4 fatalities. More general flood events have also occurred, with 12 instances and 1 death. Recent flash flood events were recorded in April 2025 and May 2025, driven by atmospheric conditions that created unstable air masses and strong thunderstorms.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with 3,998 claims averaging $25,056 and an average water depth of 3.3 feet. While Zone X properties have seen fewer claims (810), their average payout is higher at $27,259, with an average water depth of 3.1 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in other zones with lower average water depths like Zone X_SHADED and Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
67 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana has recorded 123 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 106 flash floods and 12 river or area floods. The county has received 44 federal disaster declarations, 10 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Francine | Hurricane | Sep 10, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Nicholas | Coastal Storm | Sep 12, 2021 |
| Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Ida | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2020 |
| Hurricane Delta | Hurricane | Oct 6, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 13, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 2, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 2, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 27, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 23, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Apr 5, 2025
A stationary front extended across portions of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas during the early morning hours on April 4th, but lifted north into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas during the day. This was in response to an intensifying low level jet that developed ahead of a large upper trough that extended from the Intermountain West into the Plains, which provided the necessary l...
Flash Flood — May 2, 2025
An upper level trough traversed east across the Southern Plains on May 2nd, which reinforced a weak cold front southeast into portions of extreme Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas along the I-30 corridor by afternoon. Strong daytime heating contributed to ample air mass destabilization through the day across the warm and moist sector ahead of the front, with scattered severe thunderstorms ...
Flash Flood — Apr 9, 2024
A frontal boundary became stationary across the heart of the Ark-La-Tex region in vicinity of the Interstate 30 corridor on April 8th before slowly advancing southeast on April 9th. Concurrently, very moist southwest flow aloft resulting from a nearly cut-off low across the Desert Southwest provided for precipitable water values near 2 inches. Thunderstorms developed and gradually spread nor...
Flash Flood — Jun 3, 2024
A linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) advanced southeast into the Ark-La-Tex from Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours on June 3rd. A pocket of strong instability was present ahead of the line, where MLCAPE values ranged from around 2500 to 3500 J/kg range and surface dew points were in the 70s. Instability along with strong large-scale ascent associated with a vorticity maxima ...
Flash Flood — Jan 2, 2023
A vigorous upper level trough traversed east through the Desert Southwest and into the Southern Rockies January 1st, before ejecting northeast across the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandles into Western Kansas on the 2nd. In advance of this trough, rich low level moisture quickly spread northward from the Gulf of Mexico across East Texas, North Louisiana, and Southern Arkansas, along a strong southerly l...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.