Patricia Skinner, Capello, Jr. Henry T., Wolcott, Maurice C.
Louisiana faced serious flood threats, primarily on the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers,but affecting many streams that flow to and from it. As the flood crest moved down the Mississippi River, levees were being challenged, spillways were being opened, and people were evacuated.
This page was created as a guide to LSU AgCenter on-line resources that help our residents understand the threat, prepare themselves and their property, recover from the immediate impacts and eventually rebuild their homes.
Visit emergency.la.gov for road closures and state proclamations, press releases and updates.
Click the image (right) to see TODAY's flood stages and forecasts provided by the Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center. While there, click on individual gauges to see record elevations and get a sense of what is threatened when the rivers rise to certain levels at that gauge. Your best source of information for how high the flood will be in your area is your parish emergency manager. If that information is provided to the LSU AgCenter with appropriate authorization we will place it in our on-line mapping system.
The LSU AgCenter has two mapping services/sites that ANYONE can use to find ground elevation at ANY spot in Louisiana. If you are given a forecast for the flood level "at your place", you can subtract the ground elevation to estimate flood depth. One of these sites also shows the Flood Insurance Rate Maps for your area. These are not historic flooding maps and they are not flood forecast maps, but they do show you if you are in or near one of the most floodprone areas.
Preventing Flood Damage (includes emergency and permanent methods, with videos)
You can protect your building from shallow flooding. Emergency measures
Are you Ready? Grabbing your essential documents; stocking up on food, water, medicines; making a family disaster plan; talking to the children; and other steps you take to get ready for evacuating or living primitively at home after the disaster and finding each other if you get separated in the disaster.
Preparedness for Livestock Fact sheets for beef, dairy, goat, sheep and horse producers, and on horse boarding facilities.
Animal Response Hotline - Small Animals and Horses only. Help or Volunteer LVMA/LaSARTFlood Recovery Resources From staying safe and preventing mold damage to cleaning up, salvaging goods and dealing with stress.
See also LSU AgCenter Disaster Recovery Publications.
Rebuilding and Restoration A guide to making rebuilding and restoration decisions, rebuilding in a building-code environment, reestablishing the lawn, and building safer, stronger and smarter.
Corps of Engineers Districts: Vicksburg (Northern areas) New Orleans (Southern areas)
FEMA - Louisiana Flooding: Declarations and assistance made available to the state
State "Emergency" website: Single entry point state agencies and emergency messages