Natural hazards · Kaplan

Kaplan, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kaplan comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 100 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kaplan?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kaplan to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes58%Inland flooding26%Cold waves7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Kaplan faces

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

Hurricanes

58% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Kaplan flood?

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

100paid claims since 1979

$2.0Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-summer severe storms: 57 claims, $1.6M
Hurricane Ike: 7 claims, $131K
Hurricane Rita: 5 claims, $105K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Vermilion Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4homes raised above flood level

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Kaplan

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KaplanDeclared for Vermilion Parish only

2021

Hurricane Ida

$64K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2020

Hurricane Delta

427 households applied for aid $489K aid approved $185K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2020

Hurricane Laura

354 households applied for aid $505K aid approved $33K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2019

Hurricane Barry

$50K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

553 households applied for aid $1.2M aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

216 households applied for aid $132K aid approved $37K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

818 households applied for aid $187K aid approved $89K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

2,951 households applied for aid $4.7M aid approved $243K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

33 households applied for aid $40K aid approved $20K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

2002

Hurricane Lili

$269K to the City of Kaplan for repairs

Vermilion 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. Kaplan covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kaplan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kaplan. 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 Kaplan total about $3.3M 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.