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West Carroll Parish, Louisiana

A shallow water table limits basements on 93% of West Carroll Parish's mapped land, a higher share than 97% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 64 Louisiana counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 13%.

100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 26 flood losses here since 2016. 53% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1978.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

13%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

93%

high water table: limits basements

100%

in drought, October 13, 2026

53%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under West Carroll Parish

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)13.0%
High water table (limits basements)92.9%
Septic fields very limited87.4%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)4.4%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)13.5%
Mapped soil230,300 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Calhoun36%n/a
Grenada28%n/a
Sharkey7%99%
Calloway6%n/a
Dundee5%n/a
Forestdale4%n/a
East Carroll Parish: 83%Morehouse Parish: 79%Issaquena County: 84%Richland Parish: 74%Madison Parish: 89%Ashley County: 80%Chicot County: 72%Sharkey County: 96%West Carroll Parish East CarrollMorehouseIssaquenaRichlandMadisonAshleyChicotSharkeyWest Carroll
West Carroll Parish (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas LA123 (2025-08-29)

What the numbers mean here

On 93% of West 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: 39.54 in, 17.36 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 56.90 in.

USDA rates 87% 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 32 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 22 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse100%
D2 severe or worse100%
D3 extreme or worse17.7%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

26 flood losses since 2016, $1.2 million paid. The worst year was 2016, with 25.

YearFlood losses
201625
20170
20180
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20250
2026 to date0

Rain

Average year, 1991-202056.90 in
12 months to August 202639.54 in (-17.36)
202557.22 in (+0.32)
Wettest year since 18951974: 77.11 in
Driest year since 18952010: 31.67 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at LAKE PROVIDENCE (16 mi away)18.6

Homes

Housing units4,715
Median year built1978
Built before 198053%
Built 2000 or later17%
Owner-occupied76%
Median value, owner-occupied$94,400
Single-family detached65%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
East Carroll Parish, LA 13 mi 56% 83%
Morehouse Parish, LA 20 mi 30% 79%
Issaquena County, MS 26 mi 69% 84%
Richland Parish, LA 31 mi 27% 74%
Madison Parish, LA 33 mi 72% 89%
Ashley County, AR 33 mi 11% 80%
Chicot County, AR 34 mi 51% 72%
Sharkey County, MS 37 mi 79% 96%

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