HomeLouisianaPlaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Plaquemines Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 451 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 28% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1997.
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 Plaquemines Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.3% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.6% |
| Septic fields very limited | 36.8% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 12.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 20.6% |
| Mapped soil | 901,800 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Clovelly | 7% | n/a |
| Lafitte | 5% | n/a |
| Balize | 3% | n/a |
| Bellpass | 3% | n/a |
| Timbalier | 3% | n/a |
| Larose | 2% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA075 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 12.3% by land area here, and 21% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 20% of the mapped land.
On 39% of Plaquemines 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: 51.25 in, 9.79 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 61.04 in.
Drought
0% 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 19 weeks, most recently on the September 29, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
451 flood losses since 2016, $21.3 million paid. The worst year was 2021, with 382. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 26% slabs, 2% crawl spaces, 72% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 56 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 38 |
| 2021 | 382 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 61.04 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 51.25 in (-9.79) |
| 2025 | 52.92 in (-8.12) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2024: 91.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1962: 37.90 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BURAS (5 mi away) | 21.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,736 |
| Median year built | 1997 |
| Built before 1980 | 28% |
| Built 2000 or later | 45% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $282,900 |
| Single-family detached | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Parish, LA | 35 mi | 27% | 44% |
| St. Bernard Parish, LA | 48 mi | 30% | 47% |
| Lafourche Parish, LA | 51 mi | 42% | 74% |
| Orleans Parish, LA | 57 mi | 29% | 37% |
| St. Charles Parish, LA | 64 mi | 44% | 63% |
| Terrebonne Parish, LA | 76 mi | 34% | 65% |
| Hancock County, MS | 77 mi | 2% | 90% |
| St. John the Baptist Parish, LA | 81 mi | 43% | 61% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status