Catahoula Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Catahoula Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 81% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 47%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 210 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 50% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1980.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Catahoula Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 47.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 69.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 79.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 10.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 47.1% |
| Mapped soil | 473,500 acres |
How we count · survey areas LA025 (2025-08-29)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 10.2% by land area here, and 47% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 47% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 47% of Catahoula Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 70% of Catahoula Parish's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 43.45 in, 14.83 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 58.28 in.
USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 39 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 30 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 100% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
210 flood losses since 2016, $5.8 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 103. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 27% slabs, 8% crawl spaces, 66% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 33 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 103 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 51 |
| 2020 | 25 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 58.28 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 43.45 in (-14.83) |
| 2025 | 51.57 in (-6.71) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1979: 77.53 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1924: 32.96 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at JONESVILLE LOCKS (13 mi away) | 19.2 |
Homes
| Housing units | 4,470 |
| Median year built | 1980 |
| Built before 1980 | 50% |
| Built 2000 or later | 25% |
| Owner-occupied | 78% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $101,800 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle Parish, LA | 19 mi | 18% | 52% |
| Concordia Parish, LA | 19 mi | 65% | 83% |
| Adams County, MS | 32 mi | 9% | 27% |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 34 mi | 25% | 65% |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 34 mi | 21% | 83% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 37 mi | 75% | 89% |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 41 mi | 55% | 68% |
| Grant Parish, LA | 42 mi | 22% | 35% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 29, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status