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Natural hazard risk in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 96.5 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$248.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1965
47[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$1.78 billion[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
63[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk in St. Tammany Parish as Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 96.5 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in the parish are hurricane, heat wave and lightning[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $248.9 million a year[1]. This is a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid. The largest hazard-type values are hurricane at $143.2 million a year, inland flooding at $70.2 million a year and cold wave at $9.2 million a year[7]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability as Relatively Low, with a score of 33.9[8]. FEMA rates Community Resilience as Very High, with a score of 93.8[9]. FEMA says its index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
HurricaneVery High$143.2 million[11]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$8.4 million[12]
LightningRelatively High$2.1 million[13]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$70.2 million[14]
Cold WaveRelatively High$9.2 million[15]
WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.4 million[16]
HailRelatively Moderate$1.6 million[17]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$6.0 million[18]
Coastal FloodingRelatively High$3.3 million[19]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$1.4 million[20]
DroughtRelatively Moderate$988,000[21]
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$208,000[22]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$370,000[23]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$724,000[24]
LandslideVery Low$596[25]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, volcanic activity[26].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Low33.9[8]
Community resilienceVery High93.8[9]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk as Relatively High (score 94.2) and coastal flooding risk as Relatively High (score 82.6) compared with other US counties[14][19]. OpenFEMA lists 37,387 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 92,439 residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[27]. OpenFEMA's NFIP claims data lists 38,420 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $1.78 billion in total[3]. County ratings do not tell you the flood zone of one address. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the place to look up an address[28].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[14] Relatively High, $70.2 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[19] Relatively High, $3.3 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[27] 37,387 of 92,439 homes
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 38,420 filed, $1.78 billion paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[28]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 47 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the parish since 1965[2]. The most recent listed is DR-4927-LA, Tropical Storm Arthur, declared 2026-06-30[29]. NOAA's tornado database records 63 tornadoes that touched the parish from 1950 to 2024[4]. The strongest were rated EF3[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include St. Tammany Parish, since 1965
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 29
Flood[2] 7
Coastal Storm[2] 4
Severe Storm[2] 2
Severe Ice Storm[2] 2
Winter Storm[2] 1
Snowstorm[2] 1
Tropical Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4927-LA[29] Tropical Storm Arthur 2026-06-30
EM-3638-LA[29] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-24
DR-4817-LA[29] Hurricane Francine 2024-09-16
EM-3614-LA[29] Tropical Storm Francine 2024-09-10
EM-3574-LA[29] Tropical Storm Nicholas 2021-09-13

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Hurricanes

Before

  • Know your hurricane risk, including rain, wind and tornadoes far inland from landfall.
  • Learn your evacuation zone and routes, and practice them with your household and pets.
  • Keep insurance policies and ID current, with password-protected digital copies.
  • Clear drains and gutters, bring in outdoor furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
  • Keep your phone charged, buy backup chargers and gather supplies, including medication and pet supplies.

During

  • If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials order an evacuation, leave right away.
  • For high winds, take shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
  • If you are trapped by flooding, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, hurricanes

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is St. Tammany Parish at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk as Relatively High and coastal flooding risk as Relatively High compared with other US counties[14][19]. OpenFEMA lists 38,420 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026[3].
Is St. Tammany Parish at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane risk as Very High compared with other US counties, with a score of 98.9[11]. OpenFEMA lists 29 hurricane declarations that include the parish since 1965[2].
Does St. Tammany Parish get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 63 tornadoes that touched the parish from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[18].
How many disasters have been declared in St. Tammany Parish?
OpenFEMA lists 47 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the parish since 1965[2].
How do I check my flood zone in St. Tammany Parish?
Look up an address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[28].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in St. Tammany Parish is $248.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 96.6). Of this, buildings account for $213.2 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 47 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include St. Tammany Parish since 1965 (30 major disaster, 17 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 29, flood 7, coastal storm 4, severe storm 2, severe ice storm 2, winter storm 1, snowstorm... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 38,420 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in St. Tammany Parish, 29,620 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $1.78 billion in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 63 recorded tornadoes touched St. Tammany Parish. The strongest were rated EF3 (most recent of them on 2011-05-26). 1 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-12-28. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for St. Tammany Parish is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 96.5 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for St. Tammany Parish are hurricane (98.9, Very High), heat wave (96.3, Relatively Moderate), lightning (95.6, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for St. Tammany Parish (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are hurricane ($143.2 million a year), inland flooding ($70.2 million a year), cold wave ($9.2 million a year), out of $248.9 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for St. Tammany Parish is Relatively Low (score 33.9). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for St. Tammany Parish is Very High (score 93.8). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $143.2 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.23 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the... FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 96.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $8.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 16.11 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 95.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 84.65 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 94.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $70.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.32 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 92.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $9.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.09 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 89.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0035 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.6 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.95 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 86.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38... FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 82.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 3.6983 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 80.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.61 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 80.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $988,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 18.53 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22... FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 79.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $208,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.07 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 78.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $370,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.53 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 67.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $724,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.001 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in St. Tammany Parish: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 37.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $596 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  26. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for St. Tammany Parish: avalanche, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  27. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 37,387 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in St. Tammany Parish, out of 92,439 residential structures, a penetration rate of 40.5%. OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  28. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  29. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.