Water damage restoration in Shreveport and Bossier City

February 2021 stands out. Shreveport recorded 1°F on February 16, ^[2] and at the storm's height, more than 30,000 homes and businesses had no water. City updates afterward reported continuing low service and boil advisories as crews searched for broken lines. ^[4] When service came back, many homeowners found out only then that their pipes had burst.

The city averages about 35 days a year at or below freezing, ^[1] so hard cold is not unheard of, but plumbing in much of the South is not built for it. Lines in attics, in outside walls and beneath pier-and-beam floors are most exposed. See burst pipe water damage for what happens next, and know where your main shutoff is before cold weather arrives.

If water service was off when a pipe froze, a break may stay hidden until pressure returns. So when a boil advisory or outage ends, walk the house, check the ceilings and listen for running water.

Bossier City's terrain is largely flat, and small waterways such as Flat River and Red Chute Bayou drain much of it, which leaves the city prone to backwater flooding from the Red River. ^[3] When the river runs high, those smaller channels cannot empty, and rain has nowhere to go. In March 2016, heavy rain displaced more than 3,500 people across the area. ^[3]

Shreveport sits on low ground overlooking the river, ^[1] and its normal annual precipitation is a bit over 51 inches, less than in south Louisiana but still plenty. ^[1] Flood water here is treated the same way as anywhere else, as contaminated. ^[5] Our flood cleanup page explains what can usually be saved.

Highland, North Highlands and South Highlands are among Shreveport's named neighborhoods, and Highland is in the older eastern part of the city close to the river. ^[1] Many older homes in such neighborhoods have raised floors over a crawlspace, which allows water to drop through and collect beneath. Wet wood floors can cup, and a damp crawlspace can keep them from recovering.

Lead paint may be present in homes built before 1978, and older materials could contain asbestos, so check before cutting. ^{[6] [7]} Newer subdivisions around Bossier City, Benton and Haughton are more likely to be on slabs, where wet flooring and lower walls are the usual concern.

Most of Shreveport lies in Caddo Parish, though parts extend into Bossier Parish. ^[1] Bossier City has its own government, Benton is the Bossier Parish seat and Haughton is a separate town. ^[3] Check which office applies to your address, particularly if the work goes beyond replacing damaged finishes.

Most other covered areas are far to the south, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans. If you own property in more than one place, read each local page, because the risks differ considerably.

Shreveport exists because Captain Henry Shreve cleared the Great Raft, a roughly 180-mile log jam on the Red River. ^[1] The river later became unnavigable from neglect by 1914, and federally funded locks and a navigation channel restored it in 1994. ^[1] Today, Shreveport stands on the west bank and Bossier City mainly on the east, ^[3] and the river remains central to how each side thinks about water.

Terrain differs between them. Shreveport's ground rises and falls more, while Bossier's is largely flat with hillier land at the north end of the city. ^[3] So a Bossier street can be affected when the Red River backs up small channels like Red Chute Bayou, ^[3] while a Shreveport neighborhood's flooding might come from a creek or a low intersection. Cross Lake on the west side has its own shoreline properties, some outside city limits. ^[1]

Several things went wrong together in February 2021. Temperatures fell to levels not seen in about 90 years, according to a National Weather Service meteorologist quoted at the time, and power failures hit pumping stations. ^[2] Pipes froze and broke in homes and in mains, and the city's system lost pressure. ^[4] A boil advisory stayed in force for days afterward. ^[4]

That sequence created a specific trap. With no pressure, a split pipe does not leak, and it may be days before water returns. People who had gone to stay elsewhere could come home to hours of leakage. If this happens again, close your main valve while the water is off and open it slowly when service comes back, walking through the house and listening. Anyone who owns a rental or an empty house should plan for someone to do this.

Slab homes with plumbing in attics and walls, and raised homes with pipes under the floor, were both vulnerable. Insulating lines in unconditioned spaces is a modest job. Before the next freeze, wrap what you can reach, seal crawlspace vents where appropriate and know how to drain the system if your heat will be off.

Spring and summer here bring severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. ^[1] Precipitation falls on about 101 days a year, adding up to a little more than 51 inches. ^[1] Hail can bruise shingles without obvious holes, and the leak may appear only with the next heavy rain, which can make it harder to link a stain to the storm that caused it.

After a hailstorm, take dated photos of dents on vents, gutters and vehicles, because these support a later claim. Check the attic during the next rain. Wind can peel flashing around chimneys and along ridges, and falling limbs can open a roof deck. Keep clear of downed lines and do not walk on a damaged roof. A roofer can examine it, and a restoration contractor can then deal with what got wet inside.

Pier-and-beam floors in neighborhoods such as Highland and South Highlands ^[1] allow plumbing to be reached from below, which is a real advantage when something breaks. The downside is that water from a broken line can spread across the soil and sit unseen. Red clay soils common in the region can hold water, and in a wet spell a crawlspace may stay damp for a long time.

A contractor should check joists and sills with a meter, look for wet or fallen insulation and consider whether a vapor barrier makes sense. Old floors should be dried from both sides at a pace they can take. If boards have cupped, give them time before deciding to sand or replace them. For more, see crawlspace drying and the guide to how long drying takes.

Many homes in Bossier City, Benton and Haughton sit on slabs. When a line under or inside a slab fails, you might notice a warm spot on the floor, a sudden jump in your water bill or a damp patch with no visible cause. Close the main and call a plumber who can locate the leak. Restoration comes after the repair, with flooring along the affected area often lifted so the concrete can dry.

Ground movement is another question to raise if you see cracks or doors that stick after long dry or wet spells, because clay soils swell and shrink. A foundation specialist can advise on that. Water pooled against the slab from a bad gutter or poor grading can also feed damp floors, so keep gutters clear and direct water away from the house.

Statewide, more than 1.1 million customers came under boil advisories during that 2021 event. ^[2] If there is an advisory, follow it for drinking and cooking. Ask your contractor how they will handle any water used in cleaning, and do not assume that restored pressure means water is safe. Rural systems outside the city have their own notices, and well owners should test after any flooding of the wellhead.

Keep any notices you receive in your claim file, since they can help explain the timeline if a leak went unnoticed while your water was off. It is also useful to note the date service came back and when you first saw damage, as an adjuster will likely ask.

Back to all of Louisiana. Nearby pages: Baton Rouge, Covington and Mandeville, Denham Springs and Walker, Metairie and Kenner, New Orleans, Slidell.

Related help for Shreveport and Bossier City: water extraction, structural drying, sewage backup cleanup, fire damage restoration and smoke damage cleanup. First time dealing with this? Read the first hours after water damage.