Key facts: Shreveport and Bossier City
The week the water went out
Shreveport reached 1°F on February 16, 2021, and more than 30,000 customers lost water at the worst of it.[2] Many owners learned of split pipes only when service came back. Mark your main shutoff now, and leave it where anyone in the family can find it.
A closer look in Shreveport
Backwater in Bossier
Flood claims recorded in Caddo Parish
Shreveport sits in Caddo Parish. FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim with personal details removed, which gives a plain record of where water has reached insured buildings here.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Flood insurance claims on record | 2,438 |
| Year with the most claims | 1991 (461) |
| Largest named event | Flooding (537) |
| Claims outside high-risk A and V zones | 21% |
| Claims on buildings built before 1975 | 62% |
County-wide counts of insured claims only. Uninsured losses, burst pipes and appliance leaks are not in this data.
What the Shreveport claim record shows
For Shreveport homes, the local precedents are the events behind the most Caddo Parish claims: Flooding (537 claims), Late Winter Severe Storms (248 claims) and Spring Storm (25 claims).
Around Shreveport, about 79% of county claims with a recorded zone came from the high-risk A and V zones, so checking your address on the FEMA flood map tells you a lot here.
If your Shreveport home is older, note that buildings from before 1975 make up 62% of county claims with a known build date. Many predate current flood maps, so inspect low outlets, ductwork and subfloors closely after any water event.
Federal disaster history for Caddo Parish
FEMA lists 35 federal declarations covering Caddo Parish. The most common types are hurricane (17), flood (4) and severe ice storm (3). The latest are Severe Winter Storm in 2021, Tropical Storm Francine in 2024 and Tropical Storm Nicholas in 2021. Federal aid can open after a declaration, so Shreveport owners should look it up before discarding damaged items.
Shreveport weather and your home
Weather records for Shreveport from 2015 through 2024 average 54 inches of precipitation a year, and April and March are the wettest months. The area averages 14.8 days a year with an inch or more.
Frost reaches Shreveport on about 14 nights a year, but hard freezes are less common, which can leave pipes in attics and outer walls poorly protected in a cold snap.
With about 79 days a year at 90°F or hotter, Shreveport air conditioners run hard, and a clogged condensate line can soak a ceiling without warning.
When rain falls in Shreveport
Seasonal averages for Shreveport, 2015 through 2024. Plan roof, gutter and sump pump checks before the wettest stretch.
| Season | Average | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | 16.7 in | 31% |
| April to June | 16.1 in | 30% |
| July to September | 8.9 in | 16% |
| October to December | 12.3 in | 23% |
Modeled from Open-Meteo historical weather data. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow.
Shreveport home checklist from these records
- Don't rely on recent quiet years. Only 19% of Caddo Parish claims date from 2015 or later, so older floods still show what can happen.
- Test any sump pump before April, since Shreveport averages 15 days a year with an inch or more.
- Clear the air conditioner drain line before the 79 days of 90°F heat begin.
- Keep dated photos of each room. After Flooding, 537 insured Caddo Parish owners filed claims at about the same time.
What to tell the Shreveport contractor
- Which side of the river you are on
- Whether service just came back
- Whether you were displaced
Services Shreveport and Bossier City callers ask about
Questions
Shreveport and Bossier City water damage questions
Why did my pipes leak only after the thaw?
Ice can plug a split until it melts. When pressure comes back, the leak appears.
What is backwater flooding?
Smaller streams cannot drain into a high river, so they back up over low ground.