Does Elks flood?
Elks, Lafayette, LA · ZIP codes 70508 and 70518: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Elks have filed flood claims. About 60% of Elks’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). NFIP flood insurance records list 71 claims from the Census block groups that cover Elks, from 1979 through 2021. 62 of them received a payment, totaling $2,473,415 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2016 (20 claims), 2001 (9 claims), 1993 (6 claims).
What this page counts as Elks
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Elks, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Elks means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Elks (feature 543172), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Elks. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Elks
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Elks
The named streets in Elks, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Elks lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Elks; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that. 83 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Hwy 90 | 8.4 mi | 1.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (99%) |
| W Pinhook Rd | 3.9 mi | 1.4% | X (unshaded, minimal) (95%) |
| SE Evangeline Throughway | 2.9 mi | 1.3% | X (unshaded, minimal) (99%) |
| Garber Rd | 2.6 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Bayou Tortue Rd | 2.5 mi | 26% | X (unshaded, minimal) (66%) |
| SW Evangeline Throughway | 2.4 mi | 1.8% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
| SW Frontage Rd | 2.2 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| S College Rd | 1.7 mi | 16% | X (unshaded, minimal) (80%) |
| Hugh Wallis Rd S | 1.4 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Perimeter Rd | 1.3 mi | 39% | X (unshaded, minimal) (53%) |
| Beau Pre Rd | 1.3 mi | 11% | X (unshaded, minimal) (87%) |
| E Kaliste Saloom Rd | 1.3 mi | 1.5% | X (unshaded, minimal) (94%) |
| Industrial Pkwy | 1.2 mi | 16% | X (unshaded, minimal) (77%) |
| Commission Blvd | 1.0 mi | 21% | X (unshaded, minimal) (79%) |
| Southpark Rd | 5,210 ft | 1.6% | X (unshaded, minimal) (92%) |
| Hugh Wallis Rd | 4,590 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (97%) |
| Surrey St | 4,480 ft | 2.1% | X (unshaded, minimal) (76%) |
| Queens Row | 4,220 ft | 3.7% | X (unshaded, minimal) (96%) |
| Aymor Comeax Rd | 4,060 ft | 13% | X (unshaded, minimal) (86%) |
| E Verot School Rd | 3,990 ft | 13% | X (unshaded, minimal) (86%) |
| S Bernard Rd | 3,940 ft | 28% | X (unshaded, minimal) (64%) |
| Tideland Rd | 3,820 ft | 28% | X (unshaded, minimal) (71%) |
| Fisher Rd | 3,580 ft | 64% | AE (64%) |
| Thruway Park Rd | 3,070 ft | 17% | X (unshaded, minimal) (83%) |
| Rue Beauregard | 2,860 ft | 2.4% | X (unshaded, minimal) (94%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved October 25, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Elks
Share of Elks’s mapped area (about 30.341 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (22055C0160J, 22055C0170J, 22055C0200J): December 21, 2018.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| A | 45% |
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 38% |
| AE | 14% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 0.9% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Elks. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 | $9,370 |
| 1980s | 3 | $5,582 |
| 1990s | 11 | $63,578 |
| 2000s | 21 | $549,830 |
| 2010s | 27 | $1,608,057 |
| 2020s | 7 | $236,998 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Mid-summer severe storms: 20 claims
- Tropical Storm Allison: 9 claims
- Flooding: 6 claims
- 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms: 5 claims
- Hurricane Laura: 2 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 47
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 21
- Not reported: 3
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Before you rent or buy in Elks
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
Living in Elks
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Elks with other Lafayette neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Lafayette on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Elks flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Elks have filed flood claims. About 60% of Elks’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). NFIP flood insurance records list 71 claims from the Census block groups that cover Elks, from 1979 through 2021. 62 of them received a payment, totaling $2,473,415 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2016 (20 claims), 2001 (9 claims), 1993 (6 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Elks in a flood zone?
About 60% of Elks’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area (high-risk zones such as AE). Shares by zone: A 45%; X (unshaded, minimal) 38%; AE 14%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 0.9%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect December 21, 2018.
Which streets in Elks are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of Fisher Rd lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Less than 10% of US Hwy 90, W Pinhook Rd, SE Evangeline Throughway, Garber Rd, SW Evangeline Throughway, SW Frontage Rd, Hugh Wallis Rd S and E Kaliste Saloom Rd does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Elks in?
Elks is in Lafayette, LA. ZIP codes 70508 and 70518: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Lafayette Parish (county code 22055), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 220550014112, 220550014111. Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on October 25, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on October 25, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and October 25, 2026 (flood zones). Page last updated October 25, 2026.