Natural disaster risk in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana · population 39,654 · FIPS 22009
Overall: relatively low risk
Avoyelles Parish has a composite risk score of 73.0 out of 100 — higher than 73% of US counties. It ranks 29 of 64 in Louisiana (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are drought, ice storm, lightning.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 3 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 74.31% of Avoyelles Parish is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Avoyelles Parish: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 73 |
| Expected annual loss About $19.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 60.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 97.9 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 63.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Avoyelles Parish, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively high 97 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 92 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 82 |
| Hurricane | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 84 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 84 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 55 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 78 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 44 |
| Hail | Relatively low 42 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 28 |
| Earthquake | Very low 52 |
| Wildfire | Very low 49 |
| Landslide | Very low 29 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Avoyelles Parish
Federal declarations that designated Avoyelles Parish, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Avoyelles Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4927-LA (Tropical Storm Arthur), declared 30 Jun 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4927-LA | Major disaster | Tropical Storm Arthur | 30 Jun 2026 | Yes |
| EM-3638-LA | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| EM-3614-LA | Emergency | Tropical Storm Francine | 10 Sep 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Louisiana, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Avoyelles Parish as relatively low, with a score of 73.0 out of 100 (higher than 73% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Avoyelles Parish?
The hazards rated highest for Avoyelles Parish are drought (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), lightning (relatively high).
What is the flood risk in Avoyelles Parish?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Avoyelles Parish as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Avoyelles Parish had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Avoyelles Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4927-LA (Tropical Storm Arthur), declared 30 Jun 2026.
Is Avoyelles Parish in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 74.31% of Avoyelles Parish is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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