Natural disaster risk in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana · population 160,298 · FIPS 22073
Overall: relatively moderate risk
Ouachita Parish has a composite risk score of 87.5 out of 100 — higher than 87% of US counties. It ranks 17 of 64 in Louisiana (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are ice storm, heat wave, tornado.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 3 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 33.35% of Ouachita Parish is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Ouachita 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 moderate 87.5 |
| Expected annual loss About $50.3 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 83.8 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 81.8 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 79.2 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Ouachita Parish, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Ice storm | Very high 97 |
| Heat wave | Relatively high 96 |
| Tornado | Relatively high 96 |
| Strong wind | Relatively high 90 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 87 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 87 |
| Hail | Relatively moderate 86 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 70 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 89 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 79 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 62 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 54 |
| Drought | Relatively low 46 |
| Wildfire | Very low 56 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Ouachita Parish
Federal declarations that designated Ouachita Parish, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Ouachita Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4900-LA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 18 Feb 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4900-LA | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm | 18 Feb 2026 | No |
| 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 Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Ouachita Parish as relatively moderate, with a score of 87.5 out of 100 (higher than 87% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Ouachita Parish?
The hazards rated highest for Ouachita Parish are ice storm (very high), heat wave (relatively high), tornado (relatively high).
What is the flood risk in Ouachita Parish?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Ouachita Parish as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Ouachita Parish had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Ouachita Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4900-LA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 18 Feb 2026.
Is Ouachita Parish in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 33.35% of Ouachita Parish is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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