Natural disaster risk in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana · population 27,101 · FIPS 22121
Overall: very low risk
West Baton Rouge Parish has a composite risk score of 31.8 out of 100 — higher than 31% of US counties. It ranks 52 of 64 in Louisiana (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hurricane, drought, cold wave.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 8 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 75.86% of West Baton Rouge Parish is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 8 weeks in a row.
Drought in West Baton Rouge 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. |
Very low 31.8 |
| Expected annual loss About $13.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 46.3 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 12.8 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively high 79.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in West Baton Rouge Parish, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Drought | Relatively moderate 77 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 68 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 65 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 59 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 40 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 33 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 26 |
| Earthquake | Very low 31 |
| Coastal flooding | Very low 16 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 13 |
| Hail | Very low 10 |
| Landslide | Very low 7 |
| Winter weather | Very low 6 |
| Wildfire | Very low 2 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for West Baton Rouge Parish
Federal declarations that designated West Baton Rouge Parish, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. West Baton Rouge Parish has been named in 2 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 |
| 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 West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in West Baton Rouge Parish as very low, with a score of 31.8 out of 100 (higher than 31% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in West Baton Rouge Parish?
The hazards rated highest for West Baton Rouge Parish are hurricane (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in West Baton Rouge Parish?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in West Baton Rouge Parish as very low, and coastal flooding risk as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has West Baton Rouge Parish had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. West Baton Rouge Parish has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3638-LA (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is West Baton Rouge Parish in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 75.86% of West Baton Rouge Parish is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 8 weeks in a row.
Every parish in Louisiana, ranked · All states · Disasters near me