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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Palmetto · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Palmetto

Palmetto isn’t graded for hazard risk: Palmetto has 119 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
11
of 35 declared for St. Landry Parish
By hazard

What Palmetto 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

53%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

33%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 16 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Earthquakes Ice storms Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves top 4% Lightning Coastal flooding Wildfire 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 20% of Palmetto’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 Palmetto flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

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

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Palmetto

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

  1. 2026Tropical Storm Arthur47 households applied for aid$210K aid approved
  2. 2020Hurricane Delta32 households applied for aid$35K aid approved
  3. 2020Hurricane Laura31 households applied for aid$32K aid approved
  4. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding51 households applied for aid$40K aid approved
  5. 2012Hurricane Isaac$7K to the Village of Palmetto for repairs
  6. 2008Hurricane Gustav200 households applied for aid$309K aid approved$13K to the Village of Palmetto for repairs
Show all 11
  1. 2006Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  2. 2005Hurricane Rita185 households applied for aid$169K aid approved
  3. 2005Hurricane Katrina1 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  4. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding28 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  5. 2002Hurricane Lili$3K to the Village of Palmetto for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PalmettoSt. Landry Parish only

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

Were you here?

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

Add to the Palmetto archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Palmetto 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 Palmetto

Is Palmetto 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 St. Landry Parish, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Palmetto?

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

By FEMA money that reached Palmetto, Hurricane Gustav (2008): 200 households applied for aid, $309K approved, and $13K to the Village of Palmetto for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Palmetto.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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