Bossier Parish, LA Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by ice storm. 987 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $47.52M
- Relatively Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 987
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 4,142
- 9.3% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 1
- 6 tropical storms or stronger since 1879
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Moderate
Score 82.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 41.5 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 35.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $20.91B · Agriculture value exposed: $18.58M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $50.94M
Risk by hazard
- Ice stormVery High$4.09M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively High$13.79M/yr expected annual loss, about 21 events a year
- LightningRelatively High$1.42M/yr expected annual loss, about 64 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$2.05M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.3 events a year
- Strong windRelatively High$1.84M/yr expected annual loss, about 6.0 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$5.34M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- HurricaneRelatively Low$935K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 16 years
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$886K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 631 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.68M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- DroughtRelatively Low$330K/yr expected annual loss, about 25 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$65.19K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$849/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- WildfireVery Low$23.12K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,124 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 4,142 of 44,666 (9.3%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 6,770
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 3,275 (48%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 1,107
- Claims paid since 1978
- $26.12M
Flood claims paid per year
- Late winter severe storms$12.06M · 298 claims
- Spring storm$2.79M · 25 claims
- Flooding$2.32M · 163 claims
- Hurricane Katrina$315K · 5 claims
- Hurricane Laura$0 · 1 claim
- Hurricane Andrew$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 987 events, 35 deaths, $54.67M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind314
- Hail227
- Flash Flood143
- Heat75 · 10 deaths
- Drought57
- Tornado42 · 13 deaths
- Excessive Heat36 · 10 deaths
- Flood21
- Lightning20 · 1 death
- Winter Weather12
Events per year
75 tornadoes on record (EF0 11, EF1 15, EF2 8, F0 1, F1 22, F2 7, F3 8, F4 3).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- TornadoF4, 12.6 mi path, 200 yd wide04/04/1999
Bossier City, Bossier Parish
7 deaths, 90 injured, $6.68M damage
What happened
Supercells developed over the area as a speed max moved out of Texas and across the region. Some 389 structures were effected. Of this 227 homes or businesses suffered either major damage or were destroyed. Roofs missing. Brick homes leveled. One brick home totally missing, leaving only the slab. Numerous large oak and pine trees uprooted or snapped near the bases.
- TornadoEF2, 8.84 mi path, 300 yd wide01/11/2020
Sligo, Bossier Parish
3 deaths, $500K damage
What happened
A long track 40+ mile long EF-2 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 135 mph first touched down just south of Barksdale Air Force Base off of Sligo Road in Central Bossier Parish, where it snapped and uprooted hundreds of softwood and hardwood trees and damaged several carports and outbuildings. The tornado then crossed the far southeast corner of Barksdale Air Force Base where at least one hundred trees were snapped or uprooted. After the tornado exited the corner of Barksdale Air Force Base, it strengthened south of Haughton to produce its most significant damage, completely destroying a single-wide manufactured home and a double-wide manufactured home off of Davis Road. Two fatalities (a 79 year old male and his 65 year old wife) occurred in the double-wide with an additional fatality (an 87 year old male) occurring in the single-wide. The tornado continued to produce roof damage and uproot and snap trees which fell into homes in Eastern Bossier Parish, concentrated most along James Lane. The tornado continued moving northeast across Oliver Road and Camp Zion Road, where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted, while also removing siding off of a single-wide...
- Heat06/01/1998
Bossier
3 deaths
What happened
June 1998 suffered prolonged and excessively high temperatures throughout the month making it the 3rd hottest on record. The average monthly temperature was 84.9 degrees Fahrenheit (F) which was 5.5 degrees above normal. This was beat only by 85.8 degrees F. in 1881 and 85.4 degrees F in 1875. The average maximum temperature was 96.0 degrees F. (normal is 89.7) and the average minimum was 73.7 degrees F. (normal is 69.0 degrees). The highest was 102 degrees F. on the 1st and 14th. Record high temperatures were set on the 1st, 13th, and 14th with record high minimum temperatures tied or broken on the 3rd, 14th, 18th, and 19th.
- TornadoEF2, 49.96 mi path, 800 yd wide07/08/2024
Ninock, Bossier Parish
2 deaths, 1 injured, $706K damage
What happened
This is a continuation of the Northern Red River Parish EF-2 tornado. This tornado, with estimated maximum winds near 115 mph, crossed Loggy Bayou Road and Highway 515 and across Highway 71 just west of the Loggy Bayou Wildlife Management Area, where several trees were snapped and uprooted, and minor to moderate structural damage occurred due to fallen trees and limbs downed onto these structures. The tornado then crossed Highway 154 east of Elm Grove, where approximately 10 trees were snapped/uprooted at a residence, with an intense burst of tree damage observed farther north on Robinson Road. The tornado continued north-northwest and paralleled Highway 157, where numerous hardwood and softwood trees were snapped near and north of Wilkerson Road, before crossing Highway 527 and Goathill Road. Extensive damage was observed to some structures and vehicles from fallen trees as the tornado crossed Sligo Road, before the tornado entered the eastern sections of Barksdale Air Force Base. The damage over the eastern sections of Barksdale Air Force Base was over heavily forested areas, with numerous softwoods snapped and uprooted, before the tornado crossed Interstate 20 and Highway 79...
- Heat07/01/1998
Bossier
2 deaths
What happened
July started off where June ended as yet another month for the record book with excessive heat. A total of 27 days were 100 degrees or higher and 5 days reached 105 degrees or higher.
- TornadoEF1, 14.65 mi path, 1,100 yd wide04/14/2018
Bossier City, Bossier Parish
1 death, $3M damage
What happened
This is a continuation of the Caddo Parish tornado. This EF-1 tornado, with estimated maximum winds near 110 mph, crossed the Red River into Downtown Bossier City, where it uprooted a number of trees and broke several large branches between Bossier High School and Interstate 20. Debris from this tornado also shattered the windows at Moffitt Mazda on Old Minden Road. The tornado strengthened near the Heart of Bossier Shopping Center and Benton Road where it uprooted several trees as it moved east northeast towards Pierre Bossier Mall. It uprooted or snapped several trees along the south side of the mall and Interstate 20 in this area. The tornado knocked down the top half of the east-facing wall of a strip mall on the north side of Pierre Bossier Mall. The tornado shifted northeast where it paralleled the north side of East Texas Street where it continued to uproot and snap trees. There were a number of mobile homes that were damaged along East Texas Street (Highway 80) due to falling trees. The tornado was at its weakest point when sporadic tree damage was found as it crossed over Interstate 220 near Louisiana Downs. The tornado began to rapidly strengthen as it approached the...
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Heat07/26/2026
Bossier
- Excessive Heat07/22/2026
Bossier
- Heat07/20/2026
Bossier
- Flash Flood07/13/2026
Adner, Bossier Parish
- Flash Flood07/13/2026
Fillmore, Bossier Parish
- Flash Flood07/13/2026
Bossier City, Bossier Parish
- Flash Flood07/13/2026
Bossier City, Bossier Parish
- Flash Flood07/13/2026
Bossier City, Bossier Parish
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Bossier Parish, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Barry (2019)07/10/2019 · Landfall: LA · 993 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Tropical Storm Cindy (2017)06/20/2017 · Landfall: LA · 991 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1941)09/17/1941 · Landfall: TX · 985 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1891)07/03/1891 · Landfall: TXTropical storm52 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1886)10/08/1886 · Landfall: LACategory 175 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1879)08/19/1879 · Landfall: TX · 964 mbTropical storm58 mph nearby
Drinking water
20 community water systems serve about 148,667 people. Violations since 2021.
12 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 12 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- City of Bossier City Water SystemServes 79,506 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Village Water SystemServes 24,813 · Groundwater · Local government19 health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Barksdale AFB Water SystemServes 13,000 · Purchased surface water · FederalNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Town of Benton Water SystemServes 8,037 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Cypress Black Bayou Water SystemServes 5,520 · Purchased surface water · PrivateNo health violations
- Town of Haughton Water SystemServes 5,355 · Groundwater · Local government8 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Sligo Water System IncorporatedServes 2,850 · Groundwater · Private2 health violations+7 monitoring or reporting
- Town of Plain Dealing Water SystemServes 2,346 · Groundwater · Local government7 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Benton 5e, 6.3 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 93°F in Aug and winter lows bottom out near 34°F in Jan. About 54.0 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 34°F | 4.80 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 38°F | 4.85 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 45°F | 5.24 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 53°F | 5.18 in |
| May | 82°F | 62°F | 4.63 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 70°F | 4.39 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 73°F | 3.81 in |
| Aug | 93°F | 72°F | 3.12 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 65°F | 3.67 in |
| Oct | 77°F | 53°F | 4.73 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 44°F | 4.34 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 36°F | 5.25 in |
| Year | 64°F average | 54.0 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 7 toxic release facilities in Bossier Parish
Superfund sites
None in this parish.
Toxic release facilities
- Halliburton Bossier City Field Camp3,286 lbs released, Bossier City
- Sligo Gas Plant2,359 lbs released, Haughton
- Calumet Princeton Refining LLC1,648 lbs released, Princeton
- US Dod Usaf Barksdale AFB64 lbs released, Barksdale AFB
- Cactus Wellhead Llc-Bossier City Facility15 lbs released, Bossier City
- Arcosa Marine Components LLC (Plant - 1080 Dba Wintech)0 lbs released, Bossier City
- Red River Ready Mix LLC0 lbs released, Bossier City
Total: 7,372 lbs in 2024, 5,403 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk7 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Bossier Parish for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Bossier Parish relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $47.52M a year. The highest-rated hazards are ice storm (very high), heat wave (relatively high), lightning (relatively high).
- What storms are most common in Bossier Parish?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 987 storm events affecting Bossier Parish, most often thunderstorm wind (314), hail (227), flash flood (143).
- How many tornadoes have hit Bossier Parish?
- 75 tornadoes have been recorded in Bossier Parish since 1950, including 11 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Bossier Parish have flood insurance?
- 4,142 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Bossier Parish, covering about 9.3% of homes. The program has paid $26.12M on 1,107 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Bossier Parish?
- At Benton 5e, average highs reach 93°F in Aug and lows fall to 34°F in Jan, with 54.0 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.