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Cheneyville, LouisianaPhoto: finchlake2000 · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Cheneyville · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Cheneyville

Cheneyville isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cheneyville has 559 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1995.

Flood claims
8
paid since 1995 · $74K
Flooded more than once
1
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
6
of 35 declared for Rapides Parish
By hazard

What Cheneyville 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

50%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 93% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

32%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Ice storms Strong wind Winter storms Wildfire 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 drought at 24% of Cheneyville’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Cheneyville flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 1995

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1995: 1 claim1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 2 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 2 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199520142017
19952026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Ike1 claim · $17K
  • Hurricane Delta1 claim · $20K
8
paid claims since 1995
$74K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Rapides Parish.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1home raised above flood level
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cheneyville

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Delta4 households applied for aid$31K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $20K
  2. 2020Hurricane Laura83 households applied for aid$68K aid approved$25K to the Town of Cheneyville for repairs
  3. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$404 aid approved
  4. 2008Hurricane Gustav168 households applied for aid$224K aid approved$89K to the Town of Cheneyville for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita14 households applied for aid$10K aid approved$12K to the Town of Cheneyville for repairs
  6. 2002Hurricane Lili$33K to the Town of Cheneyville for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in CheneyvilleRapides Parish only

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

Also 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Rapides Parish, 2000–2023.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Cheneyville archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Cheneyville 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 Cheneyville

Does Cheneyville flood?

Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Cheneyville since 1995, $74K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).

Is Cheneyville 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 Rapides Parish, 5.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Cheneyville?

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

By FEMA money that reached Cheneyville, Hurricane Gustav (2008): 168 households applied for aid, $224K approved, and $89K to the Town of Cheneyville for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $17K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cheneyville.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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