Know Your Flood Hazard
Flood Hazard

The  potential destructive power of tropical cyclones and flooding were determined to be the most prevalent hazards to the parish. Twelve of the sixteen Presidential Declarations Caddo Parish has received resulted from either tropical cyclones (5 declarations) or flooding(7 declarations), which validates these as the most significant hazards.

Flooding can occur anywhere in Caddo Parish. Using the FEMA Flood Map Service Center residents can view Flood Maps using an address, a place, or longitude/latitude coordinates. The Flood Maps identify Special Flood Hazard Areas and base flood elevations of specific sites.

Additional Information

For more information, visit the FEMA Know Your Risk page.

If you are located outside the City of Shreveport and beyond the MPC (five miles outside City limits) and would like to know if a parcel is in a flood zone, contact the Public Works Department (318) 226-6934. A trained technician will locate your property and verify its location within the flood zone. The technician will also determine if it is outside incorporated areas, using the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) established by FEMA under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Get Flood Insurance
Flood Insurance
Whether you rent or own, flood insurance is highly recommended for all residents, regardless of whether the property lies in a mapped floodplain. Because Caddo Parish participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), all residents of unincorporated Caddo Parish are eligible for rate-restricted flood insurance through local insurance agents. Remember, most homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage. Contact your property insurance agent to purchase flood insurance.
If your home or business is located within the Special Flood Hazard Area, flood insurance is required.
You can learn more about flood insurance in Louisiana by visiting the University of New Orleans Repetitive Flood Portal.
The FEMA Flood Insurance Homepage provides an overview of flood insurance and the NFIP.
For additional assistance, contact Parish of Caddo Flood Specialist at 318-226-6932.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Starting Oct. 1, 2021, FEMA will fundamentally change the way it rates a property’s flood risk and prices insurance. To help bring clarity to how the new Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology will affect premiums, FEMA has unveiled new interactive maps that show exactly where flood insurance rates are expected to decrease, increase, or remain the same — and by how much. 
The following FEMA Release, explains how these interactive data visualization tools provide an accurate national and local snapshot of projected rate changes. We encourage you to explore the dashboards to gain insight into what’s occurring in Caddo Parish.
Flood Safety

Preparing for a flood event involves protecting the lives of Caddo Parish residents. Below are essential resources and protocols to assist in keeping you and your family safe.

Turn Around, Don’t Drown!

As little as one foot of water can carry your vehicle. Water may be deeper than it appears as it may be covering a collapsed roadway. Watch a video and read more on this topic from the National Weather Service.

Keep out of Floodwaters

From the Caddo Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan:

Major health concerns are also associated with floods. Floodwaters can transport materials such as dirt, oil, animal waste, and chemicals (e.g., farm, lawn, and industrial) that may cause illnesses of various degrees when coming in contact with humans. Floodwaters can also infiltrate sewer lines and inundate wastewater treatment plants, causing sewage to backup and creating a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria.  This infiltration may also cause water supplies to become contaminated and undrinkable.

This page contains detailed directions for your loved ones and yourself, including steps for making a plan, instructions to follow after receiving an evacuation order, and tips on gathering supplies. For additional information, visit the Ready.gov Floods page.

Don’t wait

The best outcome depends on preparing NOW. Do not wait until an emergency to make a plan.

Protect Your Property
Protect Your Home

A flood event can cost thousands of dollars in damages to your home or business. It can also leave your home uninhabitable for months or years while repairs are made. Save time and stress by visiting the LSU AgCenter Preventing Flood Damage page to research flood damage prevention methods for your home or business.

Additionally, the University of New Orleans Repetitive Flood Portal offers a three-step approach to protecting your home.

Grant Funds

Grant funds are available to assist with floodproofing of repetitive loss properties within Caddo Parish. Call the Public Works department at (318) 226-6934 to find out if your property is eligible. A trained technician can make a site visit and help you decide which floodproofing measure is appropriate.

Build Responsibly

The Parish of Caddo has a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance that outlines the requirements for building responsibly in a floodplain.  A Development Permit is required to build in the Parish.  If building in a flood hazard area, an elevation certificate is required.   

If you are not sure if you are building in a floodplain or not, contact the Public Works Department at (318) 226-6934.  A trained technician will locate your property and verify its location within a flood zone. The technician will also determine if it is outside incorporated areas, using the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) established by FEMA under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The following site provides specific information when building on, filling, altering, or regrading property.

University of New Orleans Repetitive Flood Portal Construction Rules

Protect Natural Floodplain Functions
Natural Floodplain

A natural floodplain is an area of land prone to inundation and maintained as open space to:

(a) preserve the unique soil and vegetation characteristics needed to support a riparian habitat,
(b) prevent loss of property, life, and resources associated with repetitive loss properties,
(c) increase the floodwater storage capacity during a flood event, thereby lowering the flood risk in surrounding areas,
(d) improve the quality of outdoor recreational activities
(e) increase the natural filtration of water resources.

Examples of natural floodplains in Caddo Parish include Noah Tyson Park, Earl G. Williamson Park, Soda Lake Wildlife Management Area, and the C. Bickham Dickson Unit of the Red River Wildlife Refuge.

How you can help:

•    Volunteer with Caddo Clean Parks.
•    Build responsibly, following all laws and ordinances.
•    If you own property that has flooded in the past, contact Public Works at (318) 226-6934 to see if you qualify for a federal relocation grant.

More information:

Real-time Flood Gauges
Construction Certificate Data
Flood Zone

If you are located outside the City of Shreveport and beyond the MPC (Five miles outside City limits) and would like to know if a parcel is in a flood zone, contact the Public Works Department (318) 226-6934. A trained technician will locate your property and verify its location within the flood zone. The technician will also determine if it is outside incorporated areas, using the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) established by FEMA under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition to the 100-year Floodplain map, other mapping information is available at link Caddo mitigation plan 2016.

If you require help identifying the placement of your property concerning flood zones, you may visit our office in the Government Plaza building 505 Travis Street, Suite 820, Shreveport, Louisiana, or access the Online Map Search provided by FEMA. The FEMA site allows a citizen to do a flood zone search by property address. Another easy-to-use map that is is located at LA FloodMaps.

Elevation Certificates

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is an administrative tool of the NFIP which is to be used to provide elevation information necessary to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, to determine the proper insurance premium rate, or support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a Letter of Map Amendment based on fill (LOMR-F).

This document is referenced in the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual (Special Certifications Section). This form is fillable and can be completed in either Adobe Acrobat Pro or Adobe Reader and saved.

Note: Completing Section B of the Elevation Certificate (Item B12) requires up-to-date information on Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) boundaries and prohibition dates. Those shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps are for information purposes only.

Elevation Certificate & Instructions (must be completed using Adobe Acrobat)

CRS Elevation Certificate Training Series

Elevation Certificate Search

GIS Map Search

Interactive GIS map to search for an elevation certificate by address

Current Records

Elevation Certificate address records on file.

Email Request

E-mail staff to see if an Elevation Certificate is on record