Natural Disasters in Opelousas, LA
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
88.2
Relatively Moderate
Expected Annual Loss
83.7
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
90.5
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
77.4
Score (0-100)
Top Hazard Risks
| Hazard | Risk Score |
|---|---|
| Drought | 97.0 |
| Lightning | 96.4 |
| Tornado | 94.1 |
| Cold Wave | 93.0 |
| Hurricane | 92.2 |
| Heat Wave | 88.0 |
| Ice Storm | 84.8 |
| Wildfire | 65.3 |
| Strong Wind | 60.5 |
| Earthquake | 58.9 |
| Hail | 56.1 |
| Winter Weather | 50.3 |
| Coastal Flood | 41.8 |
| Landslide | 33.8 |
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster Declarations
Source: FEMA OpenFEMATotal Declarations
45
Most Recent
Winter Storm
Jan 2026
Most Common Type
Hurricane
23 declarations
| Date | Type | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Sep 10, 2024 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE |
| Sep 13, 2021 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS |
| Aug 29, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM IDA |
| Mar 9, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS |
| Feb 18, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA |
| Oct 27, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DELTA |
| Oct 7, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DELTA |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY |
| Aug 28, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA |
| Aug 23, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORMS LAURA AND MARCO |
| Jun 7, 2020 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL |
| Mar 24, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 |
| Aug 27, 2019 | Hurricane | HURRICANE BARRY |
| Jul 11, 2019 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM BARRY |
| May 29, 2019 | Flood | FLOODING |
Showing 20 of 45 declarations
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
970
Total Claims Paid
$21,868,415
Avg Claim Payout
$22,545
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Disaster Recovery Spending
Source: FEMA Public AssistanceTotal Federal Spending
$20,192,271
Disasters with PA
15
Total Projects
387
| Disaster | Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-1786 | Hurricane | 128 | $8,300,759 |
| DR-4277 | Flood | 30 | $4,296,263 |
| DR-4570 | Hurricane | 30 | $1,625,191 |
| DR-1437 | Hurricane | 55 | $1,470,712 |
| DR-1607 | Hurricane | 59 | $1,255,786 |
| DR-4484 | Biological | 4 | $1,048,608 |
| DR-1603 | Hurricane | 16 | $705,276 |
| DR-4559 | Hurricane | 17 | $603,747 |
| DR-4080 | Hurricane | 19 | $202,239 |
| DR-4458 | Hurricane | 10 | $197,269 |
| DR-3322 | Flood | 4 | $189,097 |
| DR-4590 | Severe Storm(s) | 4 | $126,655 |
| DR-4102 | Severe Storm(s) | 8 | $93,519 |
| DR-4611 | Hurricane | 2 | $51,392 |
| DR-3376 | Flood | 1 | $25,757 |
Opelousas has a relatively moderate overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are drought, lightning, tornado. The area has had 45 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (23 declarations). 970 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $20,192,271 in public assistance recovery funding.