Natural hazards · Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harrisonburg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 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 Harrisonburg?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harrisonburg to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding33%Drought20%Hurricanes11%Heat waves8%Tornadoes7%Strong wind7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Harrisonburg faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

20% of expected damage

Recorded about 25 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Harrisonburg flood?

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

11paid claims since 1979

$80Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Gustav: 2 claims, $5K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Catahoula Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Harrisonburg

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarrisonburgDeclared for Catahoula Parish only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

10 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $13K to the Village of Harrisonburg for repairs

2020

Hurricane Laura

$4K to the Village of Harrisonburg for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$10K to the Village of Harrisonburg for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

63 households applied for aid $92K aid approved $7K to the Village of Harrisonburg for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$14K to the Village of Harrisonburg for repairs

Catahoula Parish has had 33 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. Harrisonburg is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.

Harrisonburg, LA natural hazards

How exposed is Harrisonburg?

What Harrisonburg faces

Inland flooding

Drought

Hurricanes

Heat waves

Tornadoes

Strong wind

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Harrisonburg flood?

Biggest named events

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Winter Storms

Hurricane Laura

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Storms and Flooding

Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Katrina

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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