St. Helena Parish, LA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
St. Helena Parish has experienced 39 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
St. Helena Parish's highest-rated hazards are drought, hurricane, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 33 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (95th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. St. Helena Parish has been designated in 39 declarations since 1965, covering 9 disaster types including hurricane (25), coastal storm (4), severe ice storm (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Francine |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Francine |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| 2021 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Nicholas |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ida |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
Showing the 10 most recent of 39 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 35 | 2 | 2 | $23.2M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 28.4 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 54.5 | 23 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.2 | 9 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 79.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34.9 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 24.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 5.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 33.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 39.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 31.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 85.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
St. Helena Parish ranks in the 95th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 95th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 80th | High |
| Household characteristics | 98th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 87th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 71st | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 69th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 97.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 33 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 7 in 2016–20 vs 26 in 2021–25 .
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in St. Helena Parish?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana are drought, hurricane, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has St. Helena Parish received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. St. Helena Parish has received 39 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (25 declarations).
Has St. Helena Parish had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for St. Helena Parish include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Tropical Storm Francine (2024), Hurricane Francine (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does St. Helena Parish's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Amite County, MS has the lowest (Relatively Low). St. Helena Parish is rated Very Low overall.
How is St. Helena Parish's composite disaster risk index calculated?
St. Helena Parish's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. St. Helena Parish's composite score of 36 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 36% of US counties.