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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Chataignier · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Chataignier

Chataignier isn’t graded for hazard risk: Chataignier has 367 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1982.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1982 · $54K
Disasters paid out here
4
of 25 declared for Evangeline Parish
By hazard

What Chataignier 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

56%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hurricanes

38%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Strong wind Hail Earthquakes Ice storms Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves top 5% 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 20% of Chataignier’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 Chataignier flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1982

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1982: 1 claim1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 1 claim2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19822019
19822026
2
paid claims since 1982
$54K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$27K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

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

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Chataignier

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

  1. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding28 households applied for aid$58K aid approved$25K to the Village of Chataignier for repairs
  2. 2008Hurricane Gustav54 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
  3. 2005Hurricane Rita48 households applied for aid$39K aid approved
  4. 2002Hurricane Lili$1K to the Village of Chataignier for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ChataignierEvangeline Parish only

Evangeline Parish has had 25 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Evangeline Parish, 2000–2000.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Chataignier archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Chataignier 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 ↗
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 Chataignier

Does Chataignier flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Chataignier since 1982, $54K in all.

Is Chataignier 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 Evangeline Parish, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Chataignier?

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

By FEMA money that reached Chataignier, Severe Storms and Flooding (2016): 28 households applied for aid, $58K approved, and $25K to the Village of Chataignier for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Chataignier.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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