Natural hazards · Alexandria

Alexandria, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alexandria comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,224 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Alexandria?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alexandria to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding40%Hurricanes19%Cold waves17%Heat waves7%Tornadoes6%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Alexandria faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Alexandria flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Alexandria, from FEMA’s records.

1,224paid claims since 1978

$27.5Mpaid to owners

197homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Gustav: 302 claims, $11.2M
Hurricane Delta: 87 claims, $3.3M
Hurricane Lili: 15 claims, $163K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 4 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (49) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Alexandria isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Rapides Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

66flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

20homes raised above flood level

2buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Alexandria

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Alexandria itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Alexandria.

Brought FEMA money into AlexandriaDeclared for Rapides Parish only

2021

Hurricane Ida

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

321 households applied for aid $205K aid approved $285K to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2020

Hurricane Delta

2,077 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $808K to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2020

Hurricane Laura

31,920 households applied for aid $5.5M aid approved $7.2M to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

200 households applied for aid $90K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

$248K to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

5,270 households applied for aid $7.3M aid approved $2.5M to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

1 household applied for aid $719K to the City of Alexandria for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1 household applied for aid

2002

Hurricane Lili

$249K to the City of Alexandria for repairs

Rapides Parish has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Alexandria covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alexandria’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alexandria. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Alexandria total about $10.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.