Natural disaster risk in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana · population 23,448 · FIPS 22075
Overall: relatively low risk
Plaquemines Parish has a composite risk score of 72.9 out of 100 — higher than 72% of US counties. It ranks 30 of 64 in Louisiana (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hurricane, coastal flooding, drought.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Plaquemines Parish is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Plaquemines Parish: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 72.9 |
| Expected annual loss About $28.1 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 70.8 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively moderate 59.4 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 97.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Plaquemines Parish, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively high 94 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively high 83 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 82 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 62 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 51 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 45 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 40 |
| Earthquake | Very low 29 |
| Hail | Very low 27 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 26 |
| Wildfire | Very low 20 |
| Winter weather | Very low 16 |
| Landslide | Very low 15 |
| Ice storm | Very low 12 |
| Strong wind | Very low 4 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Plaquemines Parish
Federal declarations that designated Plaquemines Parish, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Plaquemines Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3638-LA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3638-LA | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| DR-4817-LA | Major disaster | Hurricane Francine | 16 Sep 2024 | No |
| EM-3614-LA | Emergency | Tropical Storm Francine | 10 Sep 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Louisiana, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Plaquemines Parish as relatively low, with a score of 72.9 out of 100 (higher than 72% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Plaquemines Parish?
The hazards rated highest for Plaquemines Parish are hurricane (relatively high), coastal flooding (relatively high), drought (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Plaquemines Parish?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Plaquemines Parish as very low, and coastal flooding risk as relatively high. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Plaquemines Parish had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Plaquemines Parish has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3638-LA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is Plaquemines Parish in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Plaquemines Parish is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Every parish in Louisiana, ranked · All states · Disasters near me