Richwood is calmer than 84% of U.S. communities
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Richwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2014. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Richwood’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
How exposed is Richwood?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.
Calmer than 470 of the 483 Louisiana towns we cover.
Richwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Richwood faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Heat waves
Earthquakes
Does Richwood flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Richwood, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late winter severe storms2 claims · $85K
Richwood 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.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Richwood
Disasters that paid out in Richwood itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Richwood) and its biggest flood years.
- 2026Severe Winter Storm$51K to the Town of Richwood for repairs
- 2021Severe Winter Storms1 household applied for aid
- 2020Hurricane Laura12 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding14 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
- 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$11K to the Town of Richwood for repairs
- 2008Hurricane Gustav13 households applied for aid$19K aid approved$12K to the Town of Richwood for repairs
Ouachita Parish has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Old photos of Richwood after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Richwood archive →Get ready for what Richwood actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Know the nearest cooling center or air-conditioned library.
- Drink water before you feel thirsty.
- Check on neighbors who live alone.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Richwood and its neighbors
How storm and flood risk compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richwood | Very low | inland flooding | 3 |
| Monroe | Very low | inland flooding | 3,469 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in August–October
The month each of Ouachita Parish’s 32 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Richwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Richwood.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Richwood, expected losses total about $1.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Richwood.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.