Rapides Parish, Louisiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Rapides Parish's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.3 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, cold wave, drought. Its storm record holds 728 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96.1 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.6 | $6.6M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.3 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.5 | $470K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.5 | $2.6M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $6.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.2 | $16M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 77.5 | $903K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 72.1 | $107K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.7 | $1.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 78.0 | $255K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.7 | $776K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 57.6 | $263K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.3 | $2K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 348 | 1 | $4.5M | 41st of 64 | 1580th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 171 | 0 | $485K | 30th of 64 | 1782nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 84 | 5 | $139M | 44th of 64 | 964th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 55 | 2 | $77M | 36th of 64 | 1780th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 25 | 0 | $2.4M | 45th of 64 | 2707th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 10 | 1 | $143K | 24th of 64 | 905th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 4 | $904M | 55th of 64 | 612th of 1,849 |
| Drought | 8 | 0 | $43M | 58th of 64 | 2160th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 56th of 64 | 1999th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | $1.1M | 52nd of 64 | 2627th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $18K | 28th of 64 | 1840th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $487K | 49th of 64 | 2856th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $969K | 15th of 64 | 1192nd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Rapides Parish record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.