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St. James Parish, Louisiana
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
St. James Parish, Louisiana, has 158 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 66.4 events per 100 square miles, in line with the Louisiana figure of 75.6, and 80.0 per 10,000 residents against 70.7 statewide.
10 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 4 deaths and 75 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $310M and crop damage at $25M.
FEMA has designated the county in 44 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm (emergency, 24 Jan 2026).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 342 claims since 1978, of which 259 were paid, totalling $7.5M (about $29K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,023 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Low" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($23M a year across 18 hazards).
90 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 16 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Louisiana and the United States
| Measure | St. James Parish | Louisiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 158 | 32,679 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 66.4 | 75.6 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 80.0 | 70.7 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 10 | 1,099 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 4 | 1,332 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $310M | $96B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 17.3 | 105.0 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $29K | $54K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 8.1 | 10.0 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 87 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 60 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 2016 | Tornado | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | 2 | 75 | County |
| 29 Aug 2021 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $250M | — | 1 | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Feb 2017 | Tornado | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 1 Aug 1998 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $20M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Sep 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $18M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2012 | Storm Surge/Tide | Tropical | — | $8.5M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Aug 2005 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $8.4M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 Sep 2002 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $6.4M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 2 Oct 2002 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $5.5M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Dec 2000 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $5.4M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Oct 2020 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $5.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2008 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $2.6M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Sep 2005 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $1.4M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Aug 2012 | Hurricane (Typhoon) | Tropical | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Oct 2020 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 11 Sep 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 May 2014 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2016 | Flood | Flood | — | $291K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 2026 | EM-3638 | Emergency | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 16 Sep 2024 | DR-4817 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Francine | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2024 | EM-3614 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Francine | Public assistance |
| 13 Sep 2021 | EM-3574 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Nicholas | Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2021 | DR-4611 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Aug 2021 | EM-3568 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ida | Public assistance |
| 9 Mar 2021 | DR-4590 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms | Public assistance |
| 18 Feb 2021 | EM-3556 | Emergency | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 12 Jan 2021 | DR-4577 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta | Public assistance |
| 27 Oct 2020 | EM-3549 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta | Public assistance |
| 16 Oct 2020 | DR-4570 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta | Public assistance |
| 7 Oct 2020 | EM-3547 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 2020 | EM-3543 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally | Public assistance |
| 28 Aug 2020 | DR-4559 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura | Public assistance |
| 23 Aug 2020 | EM-3538 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Laura And Marco | Public assistance |
| 7 Jun 2020 | EM-3527 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Cristobal | Public assistance |
| 24 Mar 2020 | DR-4484 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3459 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 11 Jul 2019 | EM-3416 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Barry | Public assistance |
| 6 Oct 2017 | EM-3392 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Nate | Public assistance |
| 14 Aug 2016 | DR-4277 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2012 | DR-4080 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Aug 2012 | EM-3347 | Emergency | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaac | Public assistance |
| 18 Aug 2011 | DR-4015 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 6 May 2011 | EM-3322 | Emergency | Flood | Flooding | Public assistance |
| 2 Sep 2008 | DR-1786 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2008 | EM-3289 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav | Public assistance |
| 24 Sep 2005 | DR-1607 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita | Public assistance |
| 21 Sep 2005 | EM-3260 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita | Public assistance |
| 29 Aug 2005 | DR-1603 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Aug 2005 | EM-3212 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina | Public assistance |
| 15 Sep 2004 | DR-1548 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan | Public assistance |
| 1 Feb 2003 | EM-3172 | Emergency | Other | Loss Of Space Shuttle Columbia | Public assistance |
| 3 Oct 2002 | DR-1437 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Lili | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 27 Sep 2002 | DR-1435 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isidore | Public assistance |
| 11 Jun 2001 | DR-1380 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Allison | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 23 Sep 1998 | DR-1246 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges/Ts Frances | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 May 1995 | DR-1049 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 26 Aug 1992 | DR-956 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Andrew | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 May 1991 | DR-904 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 20 May 1989 | DR-829 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 27 Apr 1973 | DR-374 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Oct 1971 | DR-315 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Edith | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 1965 | DR-208 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Hurricane Betsy | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26 | 23 | $819,634 | $35,636 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2021 | 50 | 24 | $751,992 | $31,333 |
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | $32,413 | $16,207 |
| 2017 | 2 | 2 | $63,991 | $31,996 |
| 2016 | 37 | 32 | $805,871 | $25,183 |
| 2014 | 73 | 73 | $3,473,558 | $47,583 |
| 2012 | 37 | 27 | $643,374 | $23,829 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | $18,530 | $18,530 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | $4,475 | $2,237 |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | $48,775 | $48,775 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | $2,112 | $2,112 |
| 2005 | 17 | 5 | $93,556 | $18,711 |
| 2004 | 4 | 3 | $53,212 | $17,737 |
| 2002 | 6 | 4 | $49,402 | $12,351 |
| 2001 | 16 | 10 | $209,101 | $20,910 |
| 1999 | 3 | 2 | $116,052 | $58,026 |
| 1998 | 8 | 7 | $17,849 | $2,550 |
| 1995 | 6 | 4 | $27,373 | $6,843 |
| 1992 | 2 | 2 | $14,711 | $7,356 |
| 1991 | 11 | 10 | $122,289 | $12,229 |
| 1990 | 3 | 2 | $16,575 | $8,288 |
| 1989 | 1 | 1 | $702 | $702 |
| 1985 | 6 | 4 | $47,479 | $11,870 |
| 1983 | 5 | 5 | $26,882 | $5,376 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | $13,285,865 | |
| Coastal flooding | $2,501,085 | |
| Inland flooding | $2,309,921 | |
| Tornado | $1,805,693 | |
| Drought | $1,363,740 | |
| Cold wave | $575,665 | |
| Heat wave | $548,853 | |
| Lightning | $168,488 | |
| Strong wind | $167,459 | |
| Hail | $103,370 | |
| Earthquake | $59,547 | |
| Ice storm | $20,924 | |
| Winter weather | $4,031 | |
| Wildfire | $1,173 | |
| Landslide | $18 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francine | 2024 | 30 mi | 104 mph |
| Claudette | 2021 | 36 mi | 46 mph |
| Ida | 2021 | 14 mi | 150 mph |
| Cristobal | 2020 | 41 mi | 52 mph |
| Zeta | 2020 | 55 mi | 115 mph |
| Barry | 2019 | 83 mi | 75 mph |
| Olga | 2019 | 88 mi | 52 mph |
| Isaac | 2012 | 19 mi | 81 mph |
| Lee | 2011 | 45 mi | 46 mph |
| Gustav | 2008 | 39 mi | 109 mph |
| Cindy | 2005 | 56 mi | 75 mph |
| Katrina | 2005 | 72 mi | 127 mph |
| Matthew | 2004 | 58 mi | 40 mph |
| Bill | 2003 | 39 mi | 58 mph |
| Bertha | 2002 | 72 mi | 40 mph |
| Isidore | 2002 | 54 mi | 63 mph |
| Lili | 2002 | 92 mi | 92 mph |
| Allison | 2001 | 18 mi | 46 mph |
| Hermine | 1998 | 57 mi | 46 mph |
| Danny | 1997 | 78 mi | 81 mph |
| Andrew | 1992 | 52 mi | 138 mph |
| Beryl | 1988 | 8 mi | 52 mph |
| Florence | 1988 | 69 mi | 69 mph |
| Elena | 1985 | 71 mi | 115 mph |
| Juan | 1985 | 42 mi | 86 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in St. James Parish, LA?
NCEI records 13 hail events in St. James Parish since 1950, in 10 different years; that is about 0.2 recorded events a year. 1 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has St. James Parish had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 12 tornadoes in St. James Parish since 1950, 1 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 3.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for St. James Parish?
24 Jan 2026: Severe Winter Storm, a emergency declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 44 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in St. James Parish, and how much was paid?
342 NFIP claims since 1978, 259 of them paid, for $7.5M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is St. James Parish in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Low" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Very High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does St. James Parish compare with the rest of Louisiana?
66.4 recorded events per 100 square miles against 75.6 statewide, and 17.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 105.0. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.