Powhatan, LA
Powhatan wildfire risk explained
Powhatan sits at the 54th percentile nationally for wildfire risk to structures — modestly above the national average for wildfire risk — per USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model, built from its 95 counted buildings, not vegetation cover alone. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
USFS's separate burn-probability score — fire likelihood alone, before counting what's built there — puts Powhatan at the 57th percentile, close to its 54th-percentile risk score.
Where Powhatan's buildings actually sit
Direct exposure dominates in Powhatan: 70.5% of its 95 buildings, versus 29.5% Indirect and 0% Minimal. Clearing space around a structure changes the outcome here more than any single building-material swap.
Powhatan against the rest of the country
Powhatan's risk sits at a similar level relative to Louisiana (65th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (54th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Powhatan ranks 14,495 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 29,266 by building count (1 is largest). Within Louisiana alone, it ranks 173 of 488 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Louisiana on its state page.
Shopping for coverage in Powhatan
Powhatan's elevated rating (54th percentile nationally) sits outside the range where wildfire risk alone reshapes an insurance market — still, a homeowner here loses nothing by comparing rates.
What would actually reduce this score
Because Direct exposure dominates in Powhatan (70.5%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
Where Powhatan's figures come from
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 95 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Powhatan. The exposure-zones guide covers what Powhatan's dominant direct exposure actually means, with real examples from across the dataset.