Webster Parish, Louisiana
A shallow water table limits basements on 47% of Webster Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 64% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 20%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 71 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 63% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
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 Webster Parish
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 20.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 47.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 80.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.0% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 28.0% |
| Mapped soil | 393,600 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kolin | 12% | n/a |
| Gore | 12% | n/a |
| Malbis | 11% | n/a |
| Guyton | 9% | n/a |
| Sacul | 9% | 93% |
| Darley | 9% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas LA119 (2025-09-04)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.0% by land area here, and 28% 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.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of the county is in drought on the latest map, and 20% of Webster Parish's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 47% of Webster 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: 36.79 in, 18.17 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 54.96 in.
USDA rates 81% 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 44 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 33 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 | 33.4% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
71 flood losses since 2016, $4.6 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 65. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 62% slabs, 38% elevated.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 65 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 54.96 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.79 in (-18.17) |
| 2025 | 50.48 in (-4.48) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1991: 75.59 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1936: 29.43 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MINDEN (9 mi away) | 19.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 18,377 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 63% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15% |
| Owner-occupied | 67% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $114,500 |
| Single-family detached | 67% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bossier Parish, LA | 17 mi | 47% | 58% |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | 21 mi | 22% | 28% |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 32 mi | 24% | 54% |
| Caddo Parish, LA | 33 mi | 31% | 50% |
| Columbia County, AR | 34 mi | 23% | 81% |
| Lafayette County, AR | 39 mi | 49% | 61% |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 40 mi | 8% | 36% |
| Red River Parish, LA | 44 mi | 29% | 51% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 4, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status