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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Branch · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Branch

Branch isn’t graded for hazard risk: Branch has 268 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
8
of 31 declared for Acadia Parish
By hazard

What Branch faces

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

Hurricanes

54%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

River and rain flooding

41%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Ice storms Strong wind Earthquakes Wildfire Lightning Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

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 Branch flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Branch. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Branch isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Acadia Parish.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
2buildings retrofitted against wind
1home raised above flood level
Disasters

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Branch

Disasters that paid out in Branch itself (aid to households or repair grants to Branch), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2020Hurricane Delta84 households applied for aid$136K aid approved
  2. 2020Hurricane Laura62 households applied for aid$49K aid approved
  3. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding78 households applied for aid$373K aid approved
  4. 2008Hurricane Ike16 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  5. 2008Hurricane Gustav118 households applied for aid$52K aid approved
  6. 2005Hurricane Rita180 households applied for aid$119K aid approved
Show all 8
  1. 2005Hurricane Katrina5 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  2. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BranchAcadia Parish only

Acadia Parish has had 31 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Were you here?

Old photos of Branch after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Branch archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Branch faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Branch

Is Branch in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Acadia Parish, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 9.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Branch?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Branch’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Branch?

By FEMA money that reached Branch, Severe Storms and Flooding (2016): 78 households applied for aid, $373K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Branch.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Branch’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.