Natural Disaster Risk in Shreveport

Natural Hazard Profile: Shreveport, Louisiana

Shreveport, in Caddo County, is a city of approximately 34,117 residents situated in the interior eastern United States. Its humid subtropical climate brings very hot summers, mild winters, and exceptionally high humidity, and in particular a lengthy hurricane and tropical storm season. These conditions collectively define the natural hazard environment that Shreveport residents and property owners must navigate.

According to FEMA's National Risk Index, Shreveport carries an overall risk score of 8.1/10, placing it in the very high category. Ice storm risk tops the local winter hazard profile, with freezing rain events capable of coating roads, trees, and power lines with ice that causes widespread outages and dangerous travel conditions. The area also faces notable exposure to heat and drought.

Within Louisiana, Shreveport's risk is, considerably above the 6.1/10 state average. Nationally, it ranks well above the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. FEMA's analysis of Caddo County identifies ice storm as the foremost hazard, followed by heat and drought. These rankings reflect the relative frequency and severity of each hazard type in the local environment.

Given Shreveport's very high risk classification, residents should treat disaster preparedness as a year-round priority. This means maintaining updated homeowners and flood insurance, building a 72-hour emergency kit, knowing the evacuation routes for the primary hazards, and signing up for local emergency alert systems.