Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Vivian

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Vivian water tower IMG 5196Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Vivian · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Vivian than in 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Vivian gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #14 of 162 in Louisiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then ice storms (12%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 62%Ice storms 12%Hail 11%

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 77%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#14 of 162 in Louisiana
Hazard risk
A−#14 of 162
in Louisiana · lower than 77% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
62% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
7
of 26 declared for Caddo Parish
By hazard

What Vivian 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 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Lightning 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 21% of Vivian’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 Vivian’s grade

River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Vivian, and Vivian’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 12%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Vivian sits
Vivian
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #14 of 162 in Louisiana; lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Vivian’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding62%Ice storms12%Hail11%Everything else15%

The typical Louisiana town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, Vivian has less expected damage per building than 92% of Louisiana towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $966K a year in losses across Vivian: $569K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Vivian covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Vivian flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Caddo Parish.
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Vivian

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

  1. 2021Severe Winter Storms31 households applied for aid$18K aid approved
  2. 2020Hurricane Laura38 households applied for aid$44K aid approved
  3. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding41 households applied for aid$174K aid approved
  4. 2008Hurricane Gustav$3K to the Town of Vivian for repairs
  5. 2005Hurricane Rita$10K to the Town of Vivian for repairs
  6. 2005Hurricane Katrina$4K to the Town of Vivian for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2000Severe Winter Ice Storm$17K to the Town of Vivian for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in VivianCaddo Parish only

Caddo Parish has had 26 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Vivian archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Vivian 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 ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
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 ↗
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 Vivian

Is Vivian at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Vivian has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #14 of 162 in Louisiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and ice storms (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Vivian 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 Caddo Parish, 44% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Vivian?

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

By FEMA money that reached Vivian, Severe Storms and Flooding (2016): 41 households applied for aid, $174K approved.

Is Vivian at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Vivian’s rate for it is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Vivian.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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