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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Hayes · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Hayes

Hayes isn’t graded for hazard risk: Hayes has 690 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
6
of 30 declared for Calcasieu Parish
By hazard

What Hayes faces

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

Hurricanes

47%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

River and rain flooding

44%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Hail Strong wind Coastal flooding Ice storms Earthquakes Lightning Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 13% of Hayes’ 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 Hayes flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hayes. 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

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

Insurance rates: Calcasieu Parish.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hayes

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Delta34 households applied for aid$40K aid approved
  2. 2020Hurricane Laura235 households applied for aid$379K aid approved
  3. 2008Hurricane Ike57 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  4. 2008Hurricane Gustav50 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita391 households applied for aid$998K aid approved
  6. 2005Hurricane Katrina4 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HayesCalcasieu Parish only

Calcasieu Parish has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.

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

Were you here?

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

Add to the Hayes archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Hayes 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 Hayes

Is Hayes 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 Calcasieu Parish, 43% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 16.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Hayes?

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

By FEMA money that reached Hayes, Hurricane Rita (2005): 391 households applied for aid, $998K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hayes.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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