Natural hazards · Boutte

Boutte, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boutte comes from coastal flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 242 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Boutte?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Boutte to be higher than in 100% of U.S. communities, mostly from coastal flooding and hurricanes.

Coastal flooding38%Hurricanes33%Inland flooding19%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Boutte faces

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

Coastal flooding

38% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

33% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Boutte flood?

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

242paid claims since 1979

$4.5Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 37 claims, $918K
Tropical Storm Isidore: 14 claims, $86K
Hurricane Ida: 13 claims, $655K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Charles Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Boutte

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BoutteDeclared for St. Charles Parish only

2024

Hurricane Francine

202 households applied for aid $346K aid approved

2021

Hurricane Ida

1,227 households applied for aid $4.5M aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

410 households applied for aid $586K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

626 households applied for aid $235K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,323 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

32 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

St. Charles Parish has had 39 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Boutte

Boutte and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bouttemostly coastal floodingVery high

Lulingmostly hurricanesVery high

Bayou Gauchemostly hurricanesVery high

Paradismostly hurricanesVery high

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. Boutte covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boutte’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Boutte. 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 Boutte total about $7.8M 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.