Natural hazards · Sterlington

Sterlington, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sterlington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2006. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sterlington?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sterlington to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes23%Heat waves14%Earthquakes7%Everything else20%

By hazard

What Sterlington faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 39 years in the area

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

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 Sterlington flood?

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

6paid claims since 2006

$305Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $46K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Sterlington 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.

Disasters that hit Sterlington

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SterlingtonDeclared for Ouachita Parish only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

3 households applied for aid

2020

Hurricane Laura

156 households applied for aid $82K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

147 households applied for aid $361K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

36 households applied for aid $54K aid approved

Ouachita Parish has had 32 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. Sterlington 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 Sterlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Sterlington. 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.