HomeLouisianaEast Carroll Parish
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 83% of East Carroll Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 90% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 56%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 19 flood losses here since 2016. 69% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
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 East Carroll Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 55.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 82.7% |
| Septic fields very limited | 85.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 11.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 65.0% |
| Mapped soil | 285,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Sharkey | 38% | 99% |
| Commerce | 14% | n/a |
| Tunica | 12% | n/a |
| Newellton | 7% | n/a |
| Tensas | 6% | n/a |
| Dundee | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA035 (2025-09-05)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 11.3% by land area here, and 65% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 56% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 56% of East Carroll Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 83% of East Carroll 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: 41.41 in, 15.56 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.97 in.
USDA rates 85% 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 36 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 18 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 | 7.9% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
19 flood losses since 2016, $685,735 paid. The worst year was 2016, with 9.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 56.97 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 41.41 in (-15.56) |
| 2025 | 56.14 in (-0.83) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 75.98 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2010: 31.82 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAKE PROVIDENCE (6 mi away) | 18.6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 3,434 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 69% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 58% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $100,500 |
| Single-family detached | 73% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 13 mi | 13% | 93% |
| Issaquena County, MS | 14 mi | 69% | 84% |
| Sharkey County, MS | 26 mi | 79% | 96% |
| Madison Parish, LA | 26 mi | 72% | 89% |
| Morehouse Parish, LA | 33 mi | 30% | 79% |
| Warren County, MS | 34 mi | 19% | 49% |
| Richland Parish, LA | 37 mi | 27% | 74% |
| Chicot County, AR | 38 mi | 51% | 72% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status