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A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Jonesville · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Jonesville faces less hazard damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jonesville 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 (37%), then hurricanes (25%). Flood insurance has paid 55 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 37%Hurricanes 25%Tornadoes 17%

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
37% of expected building damage
Flood claims
55
paid since 1979 · $741K
Flooded more than once
7
properties
Disasters paid out here
12
of 34 declared for Catahoula Parish

What stands out about Jonesville’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.Moved out of harm’s way4 homes raised above flood level; 1 flood-prone property bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 199111 flood claims were paid for 1991 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Jonesville 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

37%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hurricanes

25%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Tornadoes

17%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Cold waves top 1% Winter storms Lightning Wildfire 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 12% of Jonesville’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 Jonesville’s grade

River and rain flooding is 37% of the building damage FEMA expects in Jonesville, and Jonesville’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Jonesville sits
Jonesville
Least damageMiddleMost damage

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

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding37%Hurricanes25%Tornadoes17%Everything else21%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $528K a year in losses across Jonesville: $338K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Winter Storms in 2021, FEMA took 72 aid registrations from Jonesville addresses (the town has 846 homes).
Shared tract.All of Jonesville’s 1,728 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 Jonesville flood? Sometimes: 55 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Jonesville, from FEMA’s records: 65.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 5 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 7 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 11 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 1 claim1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 2 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 6 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 9 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 3 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 3 claims2017: 1 claim2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 4 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 2 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198319912011
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Gustav6 claims · $155K
  • Hurricane Delta3 claims · $142K
  • The Mid-summer severe storms2 claims · $11K
55
paid claims since 1979
$741K
paid to owners
7
homes flooded more than once
$13K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Catahoula Parish.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
4homes raised above flood level
1flood-prone property bought out and cleared
Disasters

12 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Jonesville

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm$42K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms72 households applied for aid$71K aid approved$251K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  3. 2020Hurricane Delta1 households applied for aid$22K aid approved3 flood claims paid for it, $142K
  4. 2020Hurricane Laura15 households applied for aid$4K aid approved$147K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $12K
  5. 2019Flooding$21K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  6. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding116 households applied for aid$126K aid approved$63K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
Show all 12
  1. 2012Hurricane Isaac$3K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  2. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$5K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  3. 2008Hurricane Gustav643 households applied for aid$1.4M aid approved$89K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs6 flood claims paid for it, $155K
  4. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding$4K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$19K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $1K
  6. 2005Hurricane Katrina$3K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in JonesvilleCatahoula Parish only

Catahoula Parish has had 34 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Jonesville archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Jonesville 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Jonesville

Is Jonesville at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jonesville 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 (37%) and hurricanes (25%). 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 Jonesville flood?

Flood insurance has paid 55 claims in Jonesville since 1979, $741K in all, or 65.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Gustav (6).

Is Jonesville 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 Catahoula Parish, 13.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Jonesville?

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

By FEMA money that reached Jonesville, Hurricane Gustav (2008): 643 households applied for aid, $1.4M approved, and $89K to the Town of Jonesville for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Gustav: 6 paid, $155K.

Is Jonesville at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (37%), and Jonesville’s rate for it is lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Jonesville.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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