FEMA puts Perry’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Perry gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%), then hurricanes (45%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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
What Perry 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
Hurricanes
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.
What’s behind Perry’s grade
River and rain flooding is 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Perry, and Perry’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. Hurricanes add 45%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Perry’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Perry: $931K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Perry flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Perry. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Perry isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Vermilion Parish.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Perry
Disasters that paid out in Perry itself (aid to households or repair grants to Perry), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding10 households applied for aid$25K aid approved
- 2005Hurricane Rita45 households applied for aid$40K aid approved
Vermilion Parish has had 34 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.
Old photos of Perry after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Perry archive →Perry and its neighbors
Perry has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Abbeville | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 358 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Perry faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Perry
Is Perry at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Perry has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%) and hurricanes (45%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Perry 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 Vermilion Parish, 49% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 25.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Perry?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Perry’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 Perry?
By FEMA money that reached Perry, Hurricane Rita (2005): 45 households applied for aid, $40K approved.
Is Perry at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Perry’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Perry.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Perry’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.