Shelly Kleinpeter and Md Adilur Rahim

Louisiana’s identity is shaped by its many waterways. The Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya Basin, extensive bayou networks and thousands of miles of wetlands shape both our economy and culture. Along the southern edge, the Gulf brings economic opportunity through fisheries, shipping and energy production.

The prevalence of water brings economic opportunities and risks to the state. Louisiana’s low-lying topography, heavy rainfall patterns and frequent tropical systems lead to one of the highest flood risks in the country. Annual rainfall averages more than 60 inches statewide, with some regions receiving significantly more during extreme events.

The Louisiana State Hazard Mitigation Plan revealed that flood losses in the state could reach $3.6 billion annually by 2050. Without proactive measures to safeguard citizens and essential systems, flooding will continue to be a large financial burden to the state. The LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse Research and Education Center is a unique facility on LSU’s Baton Rouge campus displaying research-based practices and approaches to building homes more resilient to wind and flood. With more than 250 exhibits, LaHouse provides homeowners, home building professionals, insurance professionals and policymakers strategies to reduce the risk of wind and flood on homes. LaHouse also offers a variety of youth outreach programs that help children understand emergency preparedness, energy efficiency and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts through engaging, age-appropriate lessons.

Lessons from Past Floods

Major events like hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Isaac and Ida demonstrate the recurring and widespread nature of Louisiana’s flood vulnerability. Importantly, many damaged properties were located outside of Special Flood Hazard Areas, the zones traditionally associated with mandatory flood insurance requirements.

In Louisiana, flooding is not confined to coastal communities as heavy rains and saturated soils can lead to pluvial floods, commonly referred to as flash flooding. For agricultural producers and rural landowners, flooding impacts homes, equipment, storage facilities, livestock operations and cropland.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2016 flood, a multiday rain event that caused severe, widespread disruption and damage across the state. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that 109,000 housing units experienced flooding, resulting in an estimated $3.8 billion in residential property damage and 20,000 businesses disrupted. Agricultural losses reached just over $110 million. The total damage estimated for the state was $8.7 billion.

Flood Risk Is Statewide

Understanding that flood risk is statewide is essential for improving insurance literacy and mitigation adoption. Flood insurance remains one of the most important financial protection tools available for homeowners and agricultural property owners to protect themselves. Improving public understanding of flood insurance is a major focus of research and outreach efforts at LaHouse.

Evidence-Based Building Guidance

LaHouse serves as a living laboratory and demonstration center for resilient, flood-smart construction. Through applied research and extension programming, LaHouse evaluates elevated building designs, flood-resistant materials and cost-effective mitigation strategies tailored to Louisiana conditions now and in the coming years.

In 2024, LaHouse research contributed significantly to the American Society of Civil Engineers new technical standard, ASCE/SEI 24-24. According to LaHouse’s research, 40% of buildings were at risk of flooding in 50 years under previous building codes. Rather than a blanket requirement, this new standard considers multiple factors that influence a property’s individual flood risk to determine the minimum first floor height. In addition to assisting with the standard, the LaHouse team created a free webtool to help local floodplain managers and code enforcement officials enforce the standard. It is anticipated that this new standard will reduce flood insurance premiums for residents in addition to improving the safety of homes across the country.

Key practices include elevating structures above base flood elevation (BFE). This means that the first floor of homes is above what floods are anticipated and therefore more protected from flooding. Additionally, flood-damage resistant materials like specific membranes, lumber or insulation can withstand floods better and make the repair and rebuilding process easier.

For agricultural structures, strategic placement of equipment, elevating critical systems and water-resilient design can reduce downtime and recovery costs. By translating building science into practical guidance, LaHouse helps homeowners and builders make informed decisions that align with both safety and financial resilience.

Building a More Informed Louisiana

Flooding will remain a challenge for Louisiana, and flood insurance will continue to be a large financial burden for many Louisiana families and producers. Improved risk literacy, research-informed construction practices and educated insurance decisions can significantly reduce long-term losses.

LaHouse research suggests that proactive mitigation is far more cost-effective than post-disaster recovery. Through research, outreach and partnerships across state agencies and communities, LaHouse continues working to ensure that people have the knowledge and tools needed to live and build more safely in Louisiana.

Shelly Kleinpeter was the creative content manager for LaHouse and is now the social media coordinator for AgCenter Communications. Md Adilur Rahim is an assistant professor for research at LaHouse.

Public Engagement and Flood Insurance Literacy

A key contributor to this work is Md Adilur Rahim (left), assistant professor of research at the LaHouse Research and Education Center. Rahim’s research focuses on flood insurance, risk communication and policy implications. His work with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) helps state agencies understand how coastal master planning efforts will impact flood insurance pricing. He also worked with Louisiana Sea Grant to complete a flood insurance literacy project which produced multiple extension publications and resulted in a statewide education campaign.

In addition, Rahim is exploring the development of agentic artificial intelligence tools and decision-support platforms to help residents, policymakers and builders better understand flood risk and the benefits of risk mitigation. The integration of hazard modeling and insurance data into user-friendly interfaces aims to provide accessible, actionable knowledge to those who need it.

This article appears in the spring 2026 edition of Louisiana Agriculture.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2016 flood, a multiday rain event that caused severe, widespread disruption and damage across the state. LSU AgCenter file photo

In the aftermath of the August 2016 flood that struck south Louisiana, 4-H’ers helped gut damaged houses. Cameron Parish 4-H’ers Kailey Murrell, left, and Hannah Doucet dump a wagon full of discarded drywall and insulation, adding to an ever-growing pile of flood-damaged items outside the Denham Springs, Louisiana, home they helped clean. Photo by Olivia McClure