Louisiana lightning risk
Calcasieu Parish has the highest lightning risk in Louisiana, scoring 99.2 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Louisiana have decreased 28% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calcasieu Parish | 99.2 | Very High | 4 |
| 2 | Lafayette Parish | 98.7 | Very High | 4 |
| 3 | Orleans Parish | 98.7 | Very High | 0 |
| 4 | Jefferson Parish | 98.6 | Very High | 1 |
| 5 | East Baton Rouge Parish | 98.3 | Very High | 10 |
| 6 | Caddo Parish | 97.4 | Very High | 3 |
| 7 | St. Landry Parish | 96.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Rapides Parish | 96.1 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 9 | Iberia Parish | 95.9 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 10 | St. Tammany Parish | 95.7 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 11 | Cameron Parish | 94.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 12 | Tangipahoa Parish | 93.8 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 13 | Bossier Parish | 92.8 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 14 | Acadia Parish | 91.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 15 | Terrebonne Parish | 91.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 16 | Vermilion Parish | 91.1 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 17 | Beauregard Parish | 89.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | Ascension Parish | 89.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 19 | Jefferson Davis Parish | 89 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 20 | Livingston Parish | 88.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 21 | St. Martin Parish | 88 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 22 | Ouachita Parish | 87.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 23 | Evangeline Parish | 86.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 24 | Lafourche Parish | 85.7 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 25 | Claiborne Parish | 84 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 26 | Avoyelles Parish | 82.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 27 | Vernon Parish | 82.1 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 28 | Allen Parish | 80 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Sabine Parish | 77 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | St. Bernard Parish | 73.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 31 | Washington Parish | 72.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | St. John the Baptist Parish | 70.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | St. Charles Parish | 67.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | St. Mary Parish | 66.7 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 35 | Natchitoches Parish | 64.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Webster Parish | 62.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 37 | Lincoln Parish | 59.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Iberville Parish | 57 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 39 | De Soto Parish | 54.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Assumption Parish | 51.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Plaquemines Parish | 51.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 42 | Morehouse Parish | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Bienville Parish | 49 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | East Feliciana Parish | 48.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | St. James Parish | 48.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Franklin Parish | 46 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 47 | Pointe Coupee Parish | 45.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Jackson Parish | 45.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 49 | Grant Parish | 42.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 50 | West Baton Rouge Parish | 40.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Union Parish | 39 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 52 | Concordia Parish | 38.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Winn Parish | 38.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Catahoula Parish | 36.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | LaSalle Parish | 33.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | West Feliciana Parish | 32 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | St. Helena Parish | 31.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Madison Parish | 28.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Red River Parish | 27.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | East Carroll Parish | 27.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Richland Parish | 25.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 62 | West Carroll Parish | 23 | Very Low | 1 |
| 63 | Caldwell Parish | 21.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 64 | Tensas Parish | 16.1 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Louisiana:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Louisiana?
Calcasieu Parish, LA has the highest lightning risk in Louisiana, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.2 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Louisiana are rated Very High for lightning risk?
6 of 64 scored Louisiana counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Louisiana?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.