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Colfax, LA, City Hall IMG 2383Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Colfax · FEMA

FEMA puts Colfax’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Colfax gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then tornadoes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 62%Tornadoes 16%Hurricanes 9%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 79%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A−
in Louisiana · lower than 79% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
62% of expected building damage
Flood claims
19
paid since 1979 · $275K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 29 declared for Grant Parish

What stands out about Colfax’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Made safer with FEMA grants4 buildings retrofitted against wind with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Colfax 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

62%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Hurricanes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Strong wind

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Wildfire Cold waves 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 heat waves at 10% of Colfax’s expected losses. Heat waves do 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Colfax’s grade

River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Colfax, and Colfax’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 75% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 16% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Colfax sits
Colfax
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Colfax’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding62%Tornadoes16%Hurricanes9%Everything else12%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $551K a year in losses across Colfax: $261K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Laura in 2020, FEMA took 943 aid registrations from Colfax addresses (the town has 718 homes).
Shared tract.All of Colfax’s 1,428 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Colfax flood? Sometimes: 19 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Colfax, from FEMA’s records: 26.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 1 claim1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 4 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 4 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: 4 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 3 claims2017: 2 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198719892006
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Late winter severe storms2 claims · $36K
19
paid claims since 1979
$275K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$14K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Grant Parish.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
4buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Colfax

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

  1. 2021Severe Winter Storms31 households applied for aid$39K aid approved
  2. 2020Hurricane Laura943 households applied for aid$1.5M aid approved$555K to the Town of Colfax for repairs
  3. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding302 households applied for aid$543K aid approved3 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2008Hurricane Gustav273 households applied for aid$256K aid approved$50K to the Town of Colfax for repairs
  5. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding113 households applied for aid$287K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ColfaxGrant Parish only

Grant Parish has had 29 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Colfax archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Colfax 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Colfax

Is Colfax at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Colfax has lower expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and tornadoes (16%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Colfax flood?

Flood insurance has paid 19 claims in Colfax since 1979, $275K in all, or 26.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late winter severe storms (2).

Is Colfax 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 Grant Parish, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Colfax?

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

By FEMA money that reached Colfax, Hurricane Laura (2020): 943 households applied for aid, $1.5M approved, and $555K to the Town of Colfax for repairs. By flood claims, Late winter severe storms: 2 paid, $36K.

Is Colfax at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Colfax’s rate for it is lower than 75% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Colfax.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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