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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Cankton · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Cankton

Cankton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cankton has 514 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2004.

Flood claims
7
paid since 2004 · $458K
Flooded more than once
2
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
5
of 35 declared for St. Landry Parish
By hazard

What Cankton faces

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

River and rain flooding

71%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

5%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes Ice storms Wildfire Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves top 4% Lightning Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 13% of Cankton’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Cankton flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 2004

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2004: 1 claim2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 1 claim2013: 1 claim2014: 1 claim2015: 0 claims2016: 3 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200420122016
20042026
Biggest named events
  • The Mid-summer severe storms1 claim · $27K
7
paid claims since 2004
$458K
paid to owners
2
homes flooded more than once
$65K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: St. Landry Parish.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1building retrofitted against wind
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cankton

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Delta11 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  2. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding15 households applied for aid$12K aid approved3 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2008Hurricane Gustav47 households applied for aid$21K aid approved
  4. 2005Hurricane Rita23 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
  5. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$3K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in CanktonSt. Landry Parish only

St. Landry Parish has had 35 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Cankton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Cankton faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
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 Cankton

Does Cankton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Cankton since 2004, $458K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-summer severe storms (1).

Is Cankton 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 St. Landry Parish, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Cankton?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cankton’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 Cankton?

By FEMA money that reached Cankton, Hurricane Gustav (2008): 47 households applied for aid, $21K approved. By flood claims, Mid-summer severe storms: 1 paid, $27K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cankton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cankton’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.