An Act of God is a natural force outside of human control (such as an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane), and may relieve a party or parties to a contract or agreement from having to perform their obligations. Such Acts of God are often addressed in a force majeure clause, which typically appears near the end of the contract or agreement. A force majeure clause may also excuse a party's performance of its obligations for other reasons beyond its control, such as unavailability of products, riots, civil unrest, pandemics, and terrorism.

In Louisiana (LA), the concept of an 'Act of God' is recognized in the context of contract law. An Act of God refers to any natural event that is unforeseeable and unavoidable, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters. Louisiana law acknowledges that such events can interfere with the ability of a party to fulfill their contractual obligations. Force majeure clauses are contractual provisions that define the scope of unforeseeable events that excuse nonperformance, including Acts of God. These clauses must be expressly included in the contract and are interpreted according to their specific wording. Louisiana courts will generally enforce force majeure clauses as written, provided they are clear and unambiguous. If a force majeure clause is invoked due to an Act of God or other events like pandemics or civil unrest, the party affected must typically show that the event was unforeseeable, that it has directly impacted their ability to perform, and that they have made reasonable efforts to avoid or mitigate the consequences.