The August 2016 Flood in Numbers: 10 Years Later

Last reviewed 2026-07-25. Journalists, researchers, and community groups are welcome to cite any figure on this page with attribution and a link.

August 2026 marks ten years since the Great Flood of 2016 put much of the Baton Rouge region underwater. This page collects the verified numbers — rainfall, river crests, homes flooded, dollars paid, and what the rebuild looks like a decade on. Every figure links to its primary source at the bottom.

We maintain it as a public reference for the anniversary, alongside our practical companion: the 10-Year Mold Check-Up guide for flood-rebuilt homes.

The rain

A slow-moving low parked over south Louisiana on August 11–13, 2016 and dropped rain totals usually reserved for hurricanes: 31.39 inches at Watson, 26.14 at White Bayou, 25.52 at Livingston — including 17.09 inches in one 15-hour stretch on August 12 (NOAA).

NOAA classified the two-day rainfall in the hardest-hit areas as a 1-in-500-year event — a 0.2% chance in any given year. The State of Louisiana goes further, describing it as a 1,000-year rainfall that dropped an estimated 7 trillion gallons on south Louisiana. Both classifications are linked below; the difference is the window and area measured.

The water

The Amite River at Denham Springs crested at 46.2 feet — nearly five feet above its previous 1983 flood of record. The Comite at Joor Road hit 34.22 feet, also a record, and USGS documented six streamgages setting all-time peaks while floodwater overtopped 50 monitoring stations.

The National Weather Service estimates 50,000–75,000 structures flooded across East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, and Tangipahoa parishes. Thirteen people died — twelve of them in the Baton Rouge and Hammond areas — and more than 30,000 were rescued from homes and vehicles.

The damage, parish by parish

Parish-level counts are FEMA and assessor data as compiled by The Advocate in August 2017 — still the best public accounting of the flood's reach.

The money

Federal disaster DR-4277 ultimately paid $776.0 million in Individual and Households Program assistance to 83,010 approved applicants, plus $682.9 million in Public Assistance for infrastructure and cleanup (FEMA). The National Flood Insurance Program paid out more than $2 billion (Louisiana Department of Insurance), and SBA approved over $1 billion in disaster loans.

The rebuild became one of the country's largest housing-recovery programs: Restore Louisiana — funded with $1.7 billion in HUD disaster block grants covering both the March and August 2016 floods — reports $1.01 billion in grants offered to 17,264 homeowners, 17,201 construction projects completed, and 20,851 homes served as of July 2, 2026.

Ten years later: the part you can't see

Two numbers explain why mold still turns up in flood-rebuilt homes a decade later. First, the insurance gap: 63% of the worst-damaged households had no flood insurance, which meant tens of thousands of fast, budget, often DIY rebuilds. Second, the biology: CDC guidance is blunt — if a flooded home couldn't be completely dried out within 24–48 hours, 'you probably have mold.' In August 2016, almost nothing dried in 48 hours.

The housing base carrying that history is large: Livingston Parish counts 63,027 housing units today and East Baton Rouge 210,707 (Census, 2025 estimates). If yours is one of the rebuilt ones, the anniversary is a good excuse for the ten-minute check most owners never do — our room-by-room guide shows exactly where to look.

Sources & Methodology

Every figure above was taken from the primary sources below (accessed 2026-07-25). Where a number is derived (arithmetic on published figures) or covers a broader period or area, the text says so.

1. NOAA Climate.gov — August 2016 extreme rain and floods — rainfall totals, river crests, 500-year classification
2. National Weather Service (New Orleans/Baton Rouge) — August 2016 flood summary — deaths, structures flooded, rescues
3. Louisiana Office of Community Development — The Great Floods of 2016 / Restore Louisiana — 1,000-year designation, 7 trillion gallons, rebuild totals (both 2016 floods)
4. FEMA — Disaster 4277 (Louisiana Severe Storms and Flooding)
5. The Advocate — 'How much damage did the August 2016 flood do?' (Aug 2017) — parish-level FEMA/assessor counts, insurance gap
6. Louisiana Department of Insurance — flood policy counts after the 2016 flood — NFIP payouts, ~22% coverage rate
7. USGS — August 2016 Louisiana floods — record streamgage peaks
8. SBA — disaster lending release (Oct 17, 2016)
9. CDC — mold after flooding (24–48 hour guidance)
10. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Livingston & East Baton Rouge parishes (V2025)