Storms, floods and disasters in West Monroe
West Monroe isn’t graded for hazard risk: West Monroe is a Census area inside a town, graded with the town. Flood insurance has paid 63 claims here since 1978.
What West Monroe 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
Tornadoes
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.
Does West Monroe flood? Sometimes: 63 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Monroe, from FEMA’s records.
West Monroe isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Monroe County.The storms West Monroe remembers
None of the 7 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Monroe itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 198213 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Monroe County
- 202311 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Monroe County
- 20098 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Monroe County has had 7 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of West Monroe after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Monroe archive →West Monroe and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frenchtown Township | B−less damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 275 |
| Monroe Township | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 153 |
| Monroe | Cmore damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 62 |
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 West Monroe 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.
- 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.
- 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 West Monroe
Does West Monroe flood?
Flood insurance has paid 63 claims in West Monroe since 1978, $726K in all.
Is West Monroe 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 Monroe County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Monroe?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Monroe’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Monroe.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Monroe’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.