Natural hazards · Elmwood

Elmwood, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elmwood comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 759 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elmwood?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elmwood to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes90%Inland flooding5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Elmwood faces

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

Hurricanes

90% 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

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce 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 Elmwood flood?

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

759paid claims since 1978

$29.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 153 claims, $12.9M
Hurricane Francine: 17 claims, $1.8M
Hurricane Isaac: 7 claims, $58K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jefferson Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Elmwood

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElmwoodDeclared for Jefferson Parish only

2024

Hurricane Francine

9 households applied for aid $300 aid approved

2021

Hurricane Ida

166 households applied for aid $220K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

4 households applied for aid

2012

Hurricane Isaac

4 households applied for aid

2008

Hurricane Gustav

1 household applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1 household applied for aid $8K aid approved

Jefferson Parish has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Elmwood

Elmwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Avondalemostly hurricanesVery high

Harahanmostly hurricanesVery high

Jeffersonmostly hurricanesVery high

Elmwoodmostly hurricanesVery high

Bridge Citymostly 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. Elmwood covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elmwood’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Elmwood. 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 Elmwood total about $16.0M 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.