Natural hazards · Laplace

Laplace, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Laplace comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5,244 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 Laplace?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Laplace to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes60%Inland flooding22%Tornadoes9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Laplace faces

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

Hurricanes

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce 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 Laplace flood?

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

5,244paid claims since 1978

$443Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 2,386 claims, $260M
Hurricane Isaac: 2,265 claims, $170M
Hurricane Katrina: 146 claims, $3.0M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Laplace 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. John the Baptist Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

40homes raised above flood level

24flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Laplace

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LaplaceDeclared for St. John the Baptist Parish only

2024

Hurricane Francine

533 households applied for aid $730K aid approved

2021

Hurricane Ida

1,916 households applied for aid $5.4M aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

345 households applied for aid $903K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

93 households applied for aid $47K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

2 households applied for aid

2005

Hurricane Katrina

49 households applied for aid $133K aid approved

St. John the Baptist Parish has had 34 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Laplace

Laplace and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Montzmostly hurricanesVery high

Laplacemostly hurricanesVery high

Reservemostly hurricanesVery high

Edgardmostly 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. Laplace covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Laplace’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Laplace. 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 Laplace total about $24.3M 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.