Terrebonne and Lafourche: where Louisiana's hurricanes keep coming ashore

Gustav, 2008

Gustav made its final landfall near Cocodrie around 1500 UTC on September 1, 2008 with maximum winds near 90 kt, a category 2 hurricane. The lowest pressures NHC lists came from the area: 951.6 mb at the USGS station at Caillou Lake and about 953.5 mb at portable USGS stations in Terrebonne Parish. Five of Gustav's seven direct Louisiana deaths were caused by falling trees.

Isaac, 2012

Isaac first came ashore at Southwest Pass, then its center wobbled back over water and made a second landfall just west of Port Fourchon around 0800 UTC on August 29, 2012.

Zeta, 2020

Zeta rapidly intensified and made landfall near Cocodrie around 2100 UTC on October 28, 2020 at 100 kt, category 3, which makes it the latest-in-the-year major hurricane landfall on record for the continental United States. NHC lists Terrebonne and Lafourche among the parishes with significant wind damage and numerous reports of lost or severely damaged roofs. The surge flooded homes and businesses in Leeville and Golden Meadow, covered Louisiana Highway 56 and flooded the bottom levels of the LUMCON building in Terrebonne.

Ida, 2021

Ida's 15 n mi-wide eye reached the coast at Port Fourchon at 1655 UTC on August 29, 2021 with winds of 130 kt, tying Laura (2020) and the Last Island Hurricane (1856) as the strongest landfall on record in Louisiana west of the mouth of the Mississippi. Two ships moored at Port Fourchon reported instantaneous gusts of 194 kt and 150 kt, though NHC did not use those readings for the official intensity.

NHC's inundation analysis gives 6 to 12 ft above ground for Lafourche Parish and West Bank Jefferson Parish, and 3 to 6 ft for Terrebonne Parish, with high water marks of 10.1 ft at Golden Meadow and 9.8 ft at Leeville. Coastal Lafourche was among the worst-hit areas, where almost every structure was damaged and many in Leeville were destroyed. All power was lost in Lafourche Parish, and NHC counts among Ida's indirect deaths a fall during roof repairs in Louisiana.

Francine, 2024

Francine crossed the shoreline about 25 n mi south-southwest of Morgan City at 2200 UTC on September 11, 2024 as a 90 kt, category 2 hurricane. Peak inundation of 5 to 8 ft above ground occurred just east of the landfall point in Terrebonne Parish, and NHC estimates 3 to 5 ft between Cocodrie and Port Fourchon. The sheriff's department reported multiple water rescues in Lafourche Parish.

FEMA declarations, 2012 to 2026

Terrebonne and Lafourche were both included in FEMA's major disaster declarations for Isaac (DR-4080), Zeta (DR-4577), Ida (DR-4611) and Francine (DR-4817). Most recently, FEMA declared DR-4927 for Tropical Storm Arthur on June 30, 2026, for an incident that began on June 17 and covered Lafourche, Terrebonne and St. Tammany parishes.

Hail between the hurricanes

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 16 hail events of 1 inch or larger in Lafourche Parish from 2016 through 2025, 2 of them 2 inches or larger, and 12 such events in Terrebonne Parish.

FORTIFIED roofs here, and the grant

Despite that record, the Legislative Auditor's March 2025 report counted 204 FORTIFIED certificates in Terrebonne Parish and 119 in Lafourche as of February 1, 2025, with just 13 and 11 of them funded by the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Orleans Parish, by comparison, had 1,474.

The program pays the actual cost of a FORTIFIED Roof retrofit, up to $10,000, and a certified FORTIFIED home qualifies for the insurance discount required by R.S. 22:1483. The steps are on our home page, and the National Roofing Directory's FORTIFIED roof explainer covers the standard itself.

License check before the work

Since January 1, 2026, only licensees with the Residential Construction or Residential Roofing classification may perform residential roof work in Louisiana, and reroofing projects that began on or after August 1, 2025 need a permit and inspection under Act 239. The LSLBC contractor search looks up any company by name, license number or parish.

Roofers are listed on the National Roofing Directory in Houma:

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly did Hurricane Ida make landfall?

At Port Fourchon, at 1655 UTC on August 29, 2021, with 130 kt winds. The eye then crossed southeastern Louisiana between Houma and New Orleans.

Was Zeta really a major hurricane when it hit Cocodrie?

Yes. NHC estimates Zeta's landfall intensity at 100 kt, category 3, and notes it beat the old record for the latest major hurricane landfall, set by the Tampa Bay Hurricane of October 25, 1921.

Has FEMA declared a disaster here in 2026?

Yes. DR-4927, for Tropical Storm Arthur, was declared on June 30, 2026 and included Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. Follow new storms on the directory's Louisiana storm center.

How many FORTIFIED roofs are in Terrebonne and Lafourche?

As of February 1, 2025, the Legislative Auditor's figures showed 204 certificates in Terrebonne and 119 in Lafourche.