St. James Parish, LA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
St. James Parish has experienced 44 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
St. James Parish's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, drought, and coastal flooding, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 39 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (27th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. St. James Parish has been designated in 44 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (27), flood (5), coastal storm (4).
| 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 44 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 | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 25.5 | 6 | 0 | $18.4M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 83.4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 30.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.4 | 24 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | 7 | 3 | $70K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 32.7 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 7.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 27.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 48.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 90.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 9.3 | 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. James Parish ranks in the 27th percentile (Low) 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 | 27th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 22nd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 30th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 88th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 22nd | Very low |
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 | 10th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 10th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 14.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 39 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 7 in 2016–20 vs 32 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. James Parish?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in St. James Parish, Louisiana are hurricane, drought, and coastal flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has St. James Parish received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. St. James Parish has received 44 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (27 declarations).
Has St. James Parish had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for St. James 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. James Parish's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Livingston Parish, LA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Assumption Parish, LA has the lowest (Relatively Low). St. James Parish is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is St. James Parish's composite disaster risk index calculated?
St. James 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. James Parish's composite score of 71 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 71% of US counties.