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Natural hazards · Monroe

Monroe, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monroe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3,469 claims here since 1978. 16 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Monroe?

15
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monroe to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes12%Heat waves12%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Monroe faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Heat waves

12% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Monroe flood?

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

3,469paid claims since 1978
$84.1Mpaid to owners
546homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Late winter severe storms: 847 claims, $45.2M
  • Hurricane Gustav: 223 claims, $4.9M
  • Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $7K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 10 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (138) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Monroe isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Ouachita Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe rooms built
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Monroe

16 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MonroeDeclared for Ouachita Parish only
2026

Severe Winter Storm

$70K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2021

Hurricane Ida

4 households applied for aid
2021

Severe Winter Storms

530 households applied for aid $454K aid approved $163K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2020

Hurricane Delta

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved
2020

Hurricane Laura

6,126 households applied for aid $3.9M aid approved $3.4M to the City of Monroe for repairs
2019

Flooding

$34K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

8,511 households applied for aid $23.8M aid approved $3.0M to the City of Monroe for repairs
2012

Hurricane Isaac

1 household applied for aid $111K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$149K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2008

Hurricane Gustav

1,893 households applied for aid $3.6M aid approved $565K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2005

Hurricane Rita

1 household applied for aid $56K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina

3 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $686K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

$3K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2002

Hurricane Lili

$67K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$168K to the City of Monroe for repairs
2000

Severe Winter Storm

$388K to the City of Monroe for repairs
Ouachita Parish has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Around Monroe

Monroe and the towns around it

Lakeshore: Very low, mostly inland floodingRichwood: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Monroe: Low, mostly inland floodingClaiborne: Low, mostly inland floodingBrownsville: Very low, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Very low, mostly inland flooding MonroeLakeshoreRichwoodWest Monroe
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
West Monroemostly inland floodingLow
Richwoodmostly inland floodingVery low
Monroemostly inland floodingVery low
Lakeshoremostly inland floodingVery low
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. Monroe covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Monroe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Monroe. 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 Monroe total about $13.2M 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.

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