Natural hazards · Jonesboro

Jonesboro, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jonesboro comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2007. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jonesboro?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jonesboro to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding30%Tornadoes26%Heat waves14%Strong wind12%Ice storms7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Jonesboro faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 63 years in the area

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Jonesboro flood?

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

2paid claims since 2007

$14Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20072026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Laura: 1 claim, $535

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jackson Parish.

Disasters that hit Jonesboro

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JonesboroDeclared for Jackson Parish only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

$101K to the Town of Jonesboro for repairs

2021

Hurricane Ida

1 household applied for aid

2021

Severe Winter Storms

4 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2020

Hurricane Laura

709 households applied for aid $360K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

93 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $56K to the Town of Jonesboro for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

1 household applied for aid $5K to the Town of Jonesboro for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

Jackson Parish has had 17 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. Jonesboro 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 Jonesboro’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Jonesboro. 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.