Texas and Louisiana Flooding

Losses, 2024 dollars

$3.1 billion

Losses at the time

$2.3 billion

Deaths

5

The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.

• Flash Flood and Winter Storm in California, March 7 to 8, 201656 kt wind · 5 eventsA powerful late season winter storm brought heavy rain and snow, flash flooding and gusty winds to Southern California. In the mountains, 5 to 10 inches of snow accumulated while winds gusted to 67 MPH.
• Coastal Flood in Guam, March 8 to 12, 20161 eventLong period swell combined with a high Spring tide caused coastal flooding in portions of the Marshall Islands.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Louisiana, March 8 to 12, 20163 deaths · 3 injured · $50 million · 56 kt wind · 105 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system settled over northern Mexico on March 8th, and became stationary through March 12th as it was cut off from the upper level jet stream, with a blocking upper ridge having developed over Florida and the western Atlantic.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 8 to 10, 201656 kt wind · 43 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system settled over northern Mexico on March 8th, and became stationary through March 12th as it was cut off from the upper level jet stream, with a blocking upper ridge having developed over Florida and the western Atlantic.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 8 to 10, 201656 kt wind · 7 eventsA strong upper level low pressure system settled over northern Mexico on March 8th, and became stationary through March 12th as it was cut off from the upper level jet stream, with a blocking upper ridge having developed over Florida and the western Atlantic.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 8 to 9, 201661 kt wind · 3 eventsA mesoscale convective system produced thunderstorm wind damage as well as some localized flooding in the city of Pine Bluff.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 8 to 9, 2016$140,000 · 61 kt wind · 17 eventsA slow moving upper level low along with plentiful moisture and a strong low level jet produced strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over portions of South Texas during the late evening of March 8th and early morning hours of March 9th.
• Flash Flood in Oklahoma, March 8 to 11, 20161 death · 1 eventA strong upper level low pressure system settled over northern Mexico on March 8th, and became stationary through March 12th as it was cut off from the upper level jet stream, with a blocking upper ridge having developed over Florida and the western Atlantic.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Louisiana, March 8 to 13, 2016$5.1 million · 1 in hail · 32 eventsAs high pressure over the East Coast refused to move, a storm system approached the ArkLaMiss from the west and stalled just to the west of the region on March 7th.
• Flash Flooding and Coastal Flood in Louisiana, March 9 to 11, 2016$750,000 · 0.88 in hail · 7 eventsA cut off upper low over West Texas pulled in deep moisture from the Pacific and gulf over a stalled frontal boundary that stretched from Southeast Texas across Central Louisiana. This produced large amounts of rainfall that lead to flash flooding.
• Flash Flooding and Coastal Flood in Texas, March 9 to 10, 2016$31 million · 7 eventsA cut off upper low over West Texas and a stalled frontal boundary over Southeast Texas produced multiple days of very heavy rainfall over the region. Widespread flash flooding occurred across the area with totals ranging from 5 to 20 inches.
• Flash Flooding in Arkansas, March 9 to 10, 2016$280,000 · 12 eventsAfter a heavy rain event the day before, persistent additional rainfall on March 9th caused for many areas in the eastern half of Arkansas to flood. Many roads were impassible, some washed out, and even some houses damaged.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kentucky, March 9 to 10, 2016$1,000 · 10 eventsA multi-day heavy rain event occurred from the 8th to the 15th. The heaviest rounds of showers and storms occurred on the 8th, 9th, and 10th. Parts of western Kentucky received 4 to 6 inches of rain.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in Arkansas, March 9 to 10, 20163 eventsA classic heavy rain pattern set up over the Mid-South during the period of March 9th, 2016 to March 13th, 2016. A cold front stretched from Nebraska to Texas on the morning of March 8th.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, March 9 to 13, 2016$40,000 · 28 eventsA classic heavy rain pattern set up over the Mid-South during the period of March 9th, 2016 to March 13th, 2016. A cold front stretched from Nebraska to Texas on the morning of March 8th.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Mississippi, March 9 to 12, 20162 injured · $6.6 million · 10 eventsA classic heavy rain pattern set up over the Mid-South during the period of March 9th, 2016 to March 13th, 2016. A cold front stretched from Nebraska to Texas on the morning of March 8th.
• Debris Flow and Flood in Washington, March 9, 2016$3,000 · 2 eventsA wet front passage brought moderate to heavy rainfall to non mountain locations of Central Washington Wednesday March 9,2016.
• Flooding in Arkansas, March 10 to 31, 20168 eventsVery heavy rainfall led to several flooded rivers on March 10, 2016.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Louisiana, March 10 to 15, 2016$11 million · 52 kt wind · 10 eventsA closed upper low moved across the southern United States.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Louisiana, March 10 to 11, 201660 kt wind · 24 eventsA closed upper low over Texas sent multiple disturbances through the area resulting in heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Major flooding occurred on several rivers, with a few records broken.
• Flash Flood in Texas, March 10, 2016$10,000 · 1 eventThe combination of an upper level low moving northeast over Mexico and plenty of atmospheric moisture allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop across the Upper Valley and northern Mexico.
• Flooding in Louisiana, March 10 to 24, 2016$140 million · 3 eventsHeavy rain from the 9th and 10th pushed Toledo Bend Reservoir to a record high level. This forced the spillway gates to fully open.
• Flooding in Texas, March 10 to 24, 2016$92 million · 2 eventsMultiple days of heavy rain fell across the Sabine River Valley causing massive flooding in the basin. Across the Toledo Bend Reservoir rainfall amounts averaged 15 to 20 inches.
• Flooding in Texas, March 10 to 22, 2016$2.3 million · 4 eventsHeavy rain from the 9th and 10th pushed the Neches River into flood. Flooding closed many roads and flooded some homes.
• Flooding in Louisiana, March 10 to 19, 2016$875,000 · 2 eventsHeavy rain fell over the upper reaches of the Calcasieu River during the 9th and 10th sending a flood wave down stream. This flooded portions of Rapides and Allen Parishes.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in Mississippi, March 10 to 15, 2016$2.3 million · 4 eventsA closed upper low over Texas sent multiple disturbances through the area resulting in heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Major flooding occurred on several rivers, with a few records broken.
• Flood in Kentucky, March 11 to 12, 20161 eventA few rounds of heavy rain across central Kentucky led to river rises and minor flooding along the Rough River near Dundee.
• Flash Flooding in Mississippi, March 11, 2016$275,000 · 7 eventsSlow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooding across southeast Mississippi.
• Flood and Heavy Snow in California, March 11 to 14, 20161 death · 9 eventsA series of strong winter storms moved across northern California Friday through Monday. Storms just a few days earlier had area small creeks and streams running high.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Alabama, March 11, 20167 eventsSlow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooding across southwest Alabama.
• Flood in Wisconsin, March 11 to 13, 20161 eventParts of central Wisconsin were covered with 4 to 6 inches of snow over the first part of March. As this snow melted, the runoff increased flows on rivers and streams and produced some minor flooding along the Yellow River in Juneau County.
• Flooding in Indiana, March 12 to 23, 2016$4,000 · 2 eventsSignificant rain fell across Indiana from the 9th through the 14th. The heaviest rainfall of 2 to 4 inches occurred along and east of the I-69 corridor in southern and central Indiana. Minor lowland flooding returned to the White River in southwest Indiana by the 13th.
• Flash Flood in Arkansas, March 12 to 13, 2016$60,000 · 1 eventA heavy rain event across southeast Arkansas, which some heavy rain just days prior, caused flooding in Drew County.
• Flooding in Louisiana, March 13 to 31, 2016$4.8 million · 2 eventsThe flood wave from rainfall on the 9th and 10th in North Louisiana pushed across Central Louisiana flooding areas between the Red River Levees.
• Heavy Rain in Oregon, March 13, 2016$20,000 · 1 eventHeavy rain from a convective shower resulted in a large landslide that closed Oregon State Route 36 around 2 miles west of Triangle Lake for several days.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Missouri, March 13, 2016$500,000 · 1 in hail · 7 eventsA very localized flash flood emergency occurred when an isolated thunderstorm produced 4 to 7 inches of rainfall in about 2 hours over the eastern and central portions of Springfield.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2016Tornadoes in 2016

NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.