Natural disaster risk in Louisiana, by county
All 64 parishes in Louisiana, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
0
Very high risk
7
Relatively high risk
17
Relatively moderate risk
19
Relatively low risk
21
Very low risk
Highest overall risk: Jefferson Parish (relatively high, score 98.7). Lowest: Caldwell Parish (very low, score 10.5).
Top hazards in Louisiana
| Hazard | Parishes rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 27 of 64 | 65.5 |
| Hurricane | 24 of 64 | 83.0 |
| Ice storm | 18 of 64 | 62.8 |
| Drought | 14 of 64 | 73.2 |
| Cold wave | 12 of 64 | 56.0 |
All parishes, highest risk first
| # | Parish | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson Parish | Relatively high 98.7 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 2 | Orleans Parish | Relatively high 98.3 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 3 | East Baton Rouge Parish | Relatively high 98 | Tornado (very high) |
| 4 | St. Tammany Parish | Relatively high 96.6 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 5 | Calcasieu Parish | Relatively high 95.7 | Lightning (very high) |
| 6 | Lafayette Parish | Relatively high 95.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 7 | Livingston Parish | Relatively high 94.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 8 | Terrebonne Parish | Relatively moderate 94.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 9 | Tangipahoa Parish | Relatively moderate 93.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 10 | Caddo Parish | Relatively moderate 92.6 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 11 | Ascension Parish | Relatively moderate 92.1 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 12 | Lafourche Parish | Relatively moderate 91.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 13 | Iberia Parish | Relatively moderate 90.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 14 | St. Mary Parish | Relatively moderate 88.9 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 15 | Acadia Parish | Relatively moderate 88.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 16 | St. Landry Parish | Relatively moderate 88.2 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 17 | Ouachita Parish | Relatively moderate 87.5 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 18 | St. Martin Parish | Relatively moderate 87.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 19 | Washington Parish | Relatively moderate 85.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 20 | St. Charles Parish | Relatively moderate 85.1 | Coastal flooding (very high) |
| 21 | Vermilion Parish | Relatively moderate 84.8 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 22 | Rapides Parish | Relatively moderate 84.3 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 23 | Bossier Parish | Relatively moderate 82.5 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 24 | St. John the Baptist Parish | Relatively moderate 81.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 25 | Evangeline Parish | Relatively low 75.9 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 26 | St. Bernard Parish | Relatively low 75.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 27 | Jefferson Davis Parish | Relatively low 74.3 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 28 | Iberville Parish | Relatively low 73.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 29 | Avoyelles Parish | Relatively low 73 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 30 | Plaquemines Parish | Relatively low 72.9 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 31 | St. James Parish | Relatively low 71 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 32 | Assumption Parish | Relatively low 70.3 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 33 | Webster Parish | Relatively low 69.5 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 34 | Vernon Parish | Relatively low 68.9 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 35 | Lincoln Parish | Relatively low 64.3 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 36 | Pointe Coupee Parish | Relatively low 63.1 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 37 | Sabine Parish | Relatively low 61 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 38 | East Feliciana Parish | Relatively low 56.4 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 39 | Natchitoches Parish | Relatively low 56.4 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 40 | Beauregard Parish | Relatively low 55.6 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 41 | Morehouse Parish | Relatively low 55.3 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 42 | Allen Parish | Relatively low 50.7 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Union Parish | Relatively low 49.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 44 | De Soto Parish | Very low 42 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 45 | Claiborne Parish | Very low 41.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 46 | Richland Parish | Very low 36.7 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 47 | St. Helena Parish | Very low 36.3 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 48 | Franklin Parish | Very low 35.9 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 49 | West Feliciana Parish | Very low 34.7 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 50 | Cameron Parish | Very low 33.7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 51 | Madison Parish | Very low 32.4 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 52 | West Baton Rouge Parish | Very low 31.8 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 53 | Concordia Parish | Very low 31.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 54 | Grant Parish | Very low 29.6 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 55 | Winn Parish | Very low 29.5 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 56 | Bienville Parish | Very low 28.7 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 57 | Jackson Parish | Very low 26.2 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 58 | East Carroll Parish | Very low 21.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 59 | Catahoula Parish | Very low 17 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 60 | Red River Parish | Very low 16.7 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 61 | West Carroll Parish | Very low 15.4 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 62 | Tensas Parish | Very low 14.5 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 63 | LaSalle Parish | Very low 12.2 | Hurricane (relatively low) |
| 64 | Caldwell Parish | Very low 10.5 | Hurricane (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which parish in Louisiana has the highest natural disaster risk?
Jefferson Parish has the highest composite risk score in Louisiana in FEMA's National Risk Index: 98.7, rated relatively high.
Which parish in Louisiana has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Caldwell Parish has the lowest composite risk score in Louisiana: 10.5, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US parishes, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Louisiana most at risk from?
Across Louisiana, the hazards rated highest in the most parishes are lightning, hurricane, ice storm, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each parish page lists all 18 hazards.
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