Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22079 · population 129,664 · 1,324 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 728 records for Rapides Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 458 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (348 records). The deadliest single record is the November 7, 1957 tornado: 3 deaths and 16 injuries. FEMA has issued 49 declarations naming the county since 1965, 46 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 728on 458 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1579 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.2Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 84strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 49latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Rapides Parish most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 348 since 1955. The rank column places the county among Louisiana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 348 | 241 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 12 | $4.5M | 41 of 64 |
| Hail | 171 | 125 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 0 | $485K | 30 of 64 |
| Tornadoes | 84 | 55 | 1951-2026 | 5 | 58 | $139M | 44 of 64 |
| Floods | 55 | 52 | 1997-2026 | 2 | 1 | $77M | 36 of 64 |
| Winter storms | 25 | 25 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 4 | $2.4M | 45 of 64 |
| Lightning | 10 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 4 | $143K | 24 of 64 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 9 | 2002-2020 | 4 | 0 | $904M | 55 of 64 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $43M | 58 of 64 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 2000-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 56 of 64 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.1M | 52 of 64 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 28 of 64 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2000-2008 | 0 | 0 | $487K | 49 of 64 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2014-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 64 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $969K | 15 of 64 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Rapides Parish had?
NOAA records 84 tornadoes in Rapides Parish from 1951 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 5 deaths and 58 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 82 tornadoes whose track touched Rapides Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 84: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 16 people, 5 of them in Rapides Parish.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-12-03 01:00, as SPC files it | Dry Prong to Tullos | F4 | 85.5 mi | 9 |
| 1957-11-07 21:00, as SPC files it | Alexandria | F3 | 13.3 mi | 3 |
| 2019-12-16 11:10, as SPC files it | Alexandria | EF3 | 62.61 mi | 1 |
| 2020-04-22 20:26, as SPC files it | Woodworth | EF2 | 8.98 mi | 1 |
| 1957-10-23 08:15, as SPC files it | Center Point to Deville | F2 | 18.3 mi | 1 |
| 1995-01-18 13:55, as SPC files it | Woodworth | F1 | 5 mi | 1 |
| 1981-06-05 11:30, as SPC files it | Alexandria to Pineville | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
| 1971-06-22 16:35, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
| 1951-01-06 17:30, as SPC files it | Alexandria | F3 | 16.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.
Every tornado record filed for Rapides Parish (84)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-14 | Union Hill, Rapides Parish | EF0 1.55 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-14 | Cheneyville, Rapides Parish | EF0 2.03 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-03-04 | Boyce, Rapides Parish | EF1 3.38 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2024-12-26 | Wilda, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2024-12-26 | Otis, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.93 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2024-05-30 | Union Hill, Rapides Parish | EF1 4.12 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 2023-11-20 | Woodworth, Rapides Parish | EF0 2.83 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-12-13 | Valde Rouge, Rapides Parish | EF1 7.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2022-12-13 | Forest Hill, Rapides Parish | EF1 2.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2021-04-07 | Lecompte, Rapides Parish | EF1 0.88 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2020-04-22 | Ruby, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2020-04-22 | Lecompte Airport, Rapides Parish | EF2 8.98 mi x 550 yd | 1 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2020-04-22 | Lamourie, Rapides Parish | EF1 3.85 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $114K |
| 2020-04-22 | Elmer, Rapides Parish | EF2 8.43 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $171K |
| 2019-12-16 | Hineston, Rapides Parish | EF3 30.22 mi x 525 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M |
| 2019-12-16 | Union Hill, Rapides Parish | EF2 3.56 mi x 147 yd | 0 | 0 | $231K |
| 2019-06-20 | Ball, Rapides Parish | EF1 0.94 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2019-06-20 | Buckeye, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.76 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2018-10-31 | Anandale, Rapides Parish | EF2 16.01 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $881K |
| 2018-10-31 | Afb Gnry Rng Al, Rapides Parish | EF1 9.17 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2018-10-31 | Mc Nary, Rapides Parish | EF1 3.34 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2018-10-31 | Union Hill, Rapides Parish | EF1 9.49 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2018-10-31 | Cheneyville, Rapides Parish | EF2 3.06 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2017-04-02 | Lena, Rapides Parish | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-02 | Anandale, Rapides Parish | EF1 5.41 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $903K |
| 2017-04-02 | Woodworth Airport, Rapides Parish | EF2 6.11 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2017-04-02 | Mc Nary, Rapides Parish | EF1 7.29 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2017-01-02 | Rapides Parish | EF1 0.54 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2017-01-02 | Meeker, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2015-12-21 | Moreland, Rapides Parish | EF1 4.26 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-12-21 | Calcasieu, Rapides Parish | EF1 4.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $12K |
| 2015-10-31 | Calcasieu, Rapides Parish | EF1 7.03 mi x 550 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2014-03-28 | Ball, Rapides Parish | EF1 1.52 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2012-12-25 | Alexandria, Rapides Parish | EF2 0.77 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.6M |
| 2012-12-25 | Lee Hgts, Rapides Parish | EF2 4.62 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.6M |
| 2012-01-25 | Kolin, Rapides Parish | EF0 1.35 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2012-01-25 | Hineston, Rapides Parish | EF0 1.79 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2012-01-25 | Hotwells, Rapides Parish | EF0 0.88 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2011-03-08 | Libuse, Rapides Parish | EF0 2.71 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2011-03-08 | Afb Gnry Rng Al, Rapides Parish | EF1 3.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-03-08 | Moreland, Rapides Parish | EF1 2.18 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2009-03-27 | Wilda, Rapides Parish | EF0 2.56 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2008-12-09 | Calcasieu, Rapides Parish | EF1 6.11 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2008-12-09 | England Afb Alx, Rapides Parish | EF1 3.48 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2008-09-03 | Cheneyville, Rapides Parish | EF1 0.31 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2002-10-03 | Woodworth, Rapides Parish | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2002-10-03 | Alexandria, Rapides Parish | F0 1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 1999-01-29 | Glenmora, Rapides Parish | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1999-01-21 | Alexandria, Rapides Parish | F2 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $1.8M |
| 1998-09-12 | Alexandria, Rapides Parish | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1996-04-14 | Boyce, Rapides Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 1995-01-18 | Woodworth To, Rapides Parish | F1 5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1992-11-21 | Rapides Parish | F2 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1992-05-16 | Rapides Parish | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-11-19 | Rapides Parish | F2 7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-12-21 | Rapides Parish | F1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-02-20 | Rapides Parish | F1 7 mi x 43 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-02-20 | Rapides Parish | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-07-04 | Rapides Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-01 | Rapides Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Rapides Parish?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 19, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Thunderstorm WindLecompte, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-06-16 | Flash FloodWoodworth, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-15 | Flash FloodAlexandria Southwest, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodAnandale, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindBoyce, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindMc Nary, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-05-23 | Thunderstorm WindGardner, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-06 | Flash FloodAlexandria Southwest, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-06 | Flash FloodSamtowm, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindEngland Afb Alx, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindLecompte, Rapides Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-02-14 | TornadoUnion Hill, Rapides Parish | EF0 1.55 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-11-07 | TornadoRapides Parish | F3 13.3 mi x 67 yd | 3 | 16 | $2.5M step |
| 2020-08-26 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Rapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides Numerous trees power lines and poles were blown down across the parish. Homes and businesses were damaged from fallen trees, or from the winds. All of the parish was without power immediately after the storm. One indirect death was due to clean up after the storm and two indirect deaths were due to heat related ... | 3 | 0 | $570M | |
| 2016-08-13 | Flash FloodSieper, Rapides Parish Flooding was reported along roadways near Clifton. Some roadways became impassable during early morning hours near the Calcasieu River. A vehicle was swept away after attempting to drive through high water near Big Creek. A female and child was swept down stream. The small child was found clinging to a tree in good ... | 1 | 1 | $615K | |
| 2016-07-10 | LightningLibuse, Rapides Parish A Pineville man was walking while holding an umbrella for another person after leaving church services. Lightning struck the umbrella sending the holder to the ICU where he died several days later from his injuries. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1957-10-23 | TornadoRapides Parish | F2 18.3 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 1 | $25K step |
| 2025-01-09 | Cold/Wind ChillRapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides Low temperatures fell into the upper 20s for 4 nights in a row at Alexandria. A unhoused male was found deceased from the cold temperatures. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindEsler Airport Alxn, Rapides Parish A tree was blown down onto a trailer crushing the occupant. Deputies were called to the scene at 7:30 AM. It was determined that the tree fell during severe weather. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $14K |
| 2020-10-09 | Tropical StormRapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides Wind gusts to around 65 mph and heavy rainfall lead to numerous downed trees and power lines across the parish. Flooding was caused by 10 to 20 inches of rainfall. A wind gust of 63 mph was recorded at KAEX. Major flooding occurred along the Calcasieu River along Bayou Cocodrie. One drowning was reported and 50 high ... | 1 | 0 | $91M |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-26 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Rapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides | 3 | 0 | $570M | |
| 2002-10-03 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Rapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides | 0 | 0 | $95M | |
| 2013-01-10 | FloodBall, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | $42M | |
| 1998-08-01 | DroughtRapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides | 0 | 0 | $28M | |
| 2019-12-16 | TornadoHineston, Rapides Parish | EF3 30.22 mi x 525 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M |
| 2008-09-03 | Flash FloodAlexandria, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 2000-12-01 | DroughtRapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2017-04-02 | Flash FloodMeeker, Rapides Parish | 0 | 0 | $6.0M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 7, 1957 (tornado, Rapides Parish, 3 killed); December 3, 1953 (tornado, Rapides Parish); June 5, 1981 (tornado, Rapides Parish).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Rapides Parish's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 13 | 26 | 28 | 66 | 85 | 60 | 67 |
| Hail | 3 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 40 | 44 | 37 | 13 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 10 | 19 | 18 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 15 | 2 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Rapides Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 57 · Feb 55 · Mar 79 · Apr 104 · May 120 · Jun 67 · Jul 60 · Aug 47 · Sep 29 · Oct 29 · Nov 31 · Dec 50 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rapides Parish
FEMA's register lists 49 declarations that include Rapides Parish: 26 major disasters, 21 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (23) and flood (10).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3638 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-10 | EM-3614 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Francine |
| 2023-08-30 | FM-5486 | Fire | Highway 113 Fire |
| 2021-09-13 | EM-3574 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Nicholas |
| 2021-08-29 | DR-4611 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-27 | EM-3568 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ida |
| 2021-03-09 | DR-4590 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-18 | EM-3556 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-10-27 | EM-3549 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| 2020-10-16 | DR-4570 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-10-07 | EM-3547 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3543 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-08-28 | DR-4559 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 2020-08-23 | EM-3538 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Laura and Marco |
| 2020-06-07 | EM-3527 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Cristobal |
| 2020-03-24 | DR-4484 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3459 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-19 | DR-4462 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2019-07-11 | EM-3416 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Barry |
| 2019-05-29 | EM-3413 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2017-10-16 | DR-4345 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Harvey |
| 2017-08-28 | EM-3382 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Harvey |
| 2016-03-13 | DR-4263 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2015-07-13 | DR-4228 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-08-29 | DR-4080 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2012-08-27 | EM-3347 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaac |
| 2008-09-02 | DR-1786 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3289 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2006-11-02 | DR-1668 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-24 | DR-1607 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-21 | EM-3260 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1603 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-08-27 | EM-3212 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-09-15 | DR-1548 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3172 | Other | Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 2002-10-03 | DR-1437 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lili |
| 2000-09-11 | FM-2337 | Fire | La-Western Louisiana Fire Complex-9/8/00 |
| 1992-08-26 | DR-956 | Hurricane | Hurricane Andrew |
| 1991-05-03 | DR-904 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1991-04-23 | DR-902 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
The 40 most recent of 49 are listed; the CSV has every one.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Rapides Parish had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 55 flood or flash flood records for Rapides Parish from 1997 to 2026, on 52 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rapides Parish ranks 110th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Laura | 2020-08-26 | 1 | 3 |
| Hurricane Delta | 2020-10-09 | 1 | 1 |
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008-09-01 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Rita | 2005-09-23 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Lili | 2002-10-03 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $68.3 million on 4,231 claims filed in Rapides Parish; the most in one year was 566 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 186 · 1980: 65 · 1981: 6 · 1982: 233 · 1983: 136 · 1984: 148 · 1985: 21 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 372 · 1988: 11 · 1989: 150 · 1990: 157 · 1991: 290 · 1992: 21 · 1993: 35 · 1994: 128 · 1995: 80 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 176 · 1998: 45 · 1999: 70 · 2000: 7 · 2001: 180 · 2002: 89 · 2003: 11 · 2004: 9 · 2005: 30 · 2006: 7 · 2007: 6 · 2008: 566 · 2009: 34 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 68 · 2012: 25 · 2013: 16 · 2014: 5 · 2015: 123 · 2016: 59 · 2017: 213 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 89 · 2020: 298 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 12 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 12.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Rapides Parish
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rapides Parish Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $39.6 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.6M | 75 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $6.6M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively High | $1.4M | 28 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $470K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $6.4M | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $16M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $903K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rapides Parish
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in LouisianaEvery Louisiana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in LouisianaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Louisiana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Rapides ParishThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rapides Parish's FEMA declarations (CSV)49 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis