St. Tammany Parish, LA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
St. Tammany Parish has experienced 50 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
St. Tammany Parish's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, heat wave, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 227% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. St. Tammany Parish has been designated in 50 declarations since 1965, covering 10 disaster types including hurricane (29), flood (7), coastal storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Arthur |
| 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 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 50 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 | Relatively Moderate | 89.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 94.2 | 96 | 0 | $11.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 82.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 67.3 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.3 | 26 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.6 | 29 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 88 | 22 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 79 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.7 | 5 | 1 | $380K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| 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. Tammany Parish ranks in the 49th 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 | 49th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 45th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 86th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 60th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 17th | 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 | 88th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 86th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 58.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 175 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 41 in 2016–20 vs 134 in 2021–25 (+227% — frequency increasing).
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. Tammany Parish?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana are hurricane, heat wave, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has St. Tammany Parish received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. St. Tammany Parish has received 50 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (29 declarations).
Has St. Tammany Parish had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for St. Tammany Parish include Tropical Storm Arthur (2026), 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. Tammany Parish's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Orleans Parish, LA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and St. John the Baptist Parish, LA has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). St. Tammany Parish is rated Relatively High overall.
How is St. Tammany Parish's composite disaster risk index calculated?
St. Tammany 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. Tammany Parish's composite score of 97 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 97% of US counties.