St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22095 · population 42,466 · 214 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 194 records for St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 166 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (51 records). 97 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. NOAA records 18 flood or flash floods there since 1996, with 0 deaths; its 8,979 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 62nd of 2,942 U.S. counties; the deadliest named storm on its flood record is Tropical Storm Ida (2021). The deadliest single record is the October 23, 2023 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone St. John The Baptist, which covers the county: 7 deaths, 55 injuries and $3.9 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 46 declarations naming the county since 1965, 43 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 194on 166 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12138 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.3Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 46latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit St. John the Baptist Parish most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 51 since 1960. The rank column places the county among Louisiana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 51 | 48 | 1960-2023 | 0 | 0 | $451K | 28 of 64 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 43 | 30 | 1998-2024 | 2 | 0 | $1.1B | 2 of 64 |
| Heat | 24 | 24 | 2023-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 64 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 19 | 1957-2018 | 2 | 83 | $131M | 7 of 64 |
| Floods | 18 | 18 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 12 of 64 |
| Drought | 12 | 12 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 15 of 64 |
| Winter storms | 8 | 8 | 2004-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 64 |
| Hail | 7 | 7 | 1987-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 64 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 64 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 64 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2004-2023 | 7 | 55 | $3.9M | 13 of 64 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 64 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 1 | 0 | – | 40 of 64 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has St. John the Baptist Parish had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in St. John the Baptist Parish from 1957 to 2018, the strongest rated F4, with 2 deaths and 83 injuries recorded in the county. That is 7th of 64 Louisiana counties and 75th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 23 tornadoes whose track touched St. John the Baptist Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-08-25 20:10, as SPC files it | Laplace to Reserve | F3 | 9 mi | 2 |
| 1983-12-06 01:05, as SPC files it | Laplace | F4 | 7 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.
Every tornado record filed for St. John the Baptist Parish (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-05 | Johnson, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF0 0.22 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-06-21 | Ruddock, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF0 1.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-23 | Ruddock, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF1 3.15 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-02-23 | Montegut, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF2 4.69 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 17 | – |
| 2015-12-28 | Montegut, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF1 0.6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-28 | Lions, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF1 2.55 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-03-29 | Tigerville, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF0 0.08 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2010-05-15 | Lucy, St. John the Baptist Parish | EF0 0.06 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2003-06-30 | Reserve, St. John the Baptist Parish | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.2M |
| 1992-08-25 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F3 9 mi x 150 yd | 2 | 32 | $25M step |
| 1990-09-02 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1987-02-15 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-08-23 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-11-28 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-12-06 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F4 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M step |
| 1981-04-30 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-05-19 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1974-06-23 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-11-22 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1957-03-31 | St. John the Baptist Parish | F1 2 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in St. John the Baptist Parish?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 11, 2024 flash flood ($9.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
The greater impact was from Francine’s flooding rain, though. As the north and northeastern eyewall stretched into an east-west oriented band of heavy rainfall, training storms resulted in widespread rainfall totals of 4-7′ across the parish with locally higher amounts, much of which fell over the course of just a couple hours. The heavy rain resulted in significant flash flooding, with numerous roads becoming impassable (including the I-10 exit/entrance near Laplace). Some homes also flooded with up to 18′ of water.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1217876)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | DroughtSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | Excessive HeatSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-28 | Excessive HeatSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-23 | Excessive HeatSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-21 | Heavy SnowSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-09-11 | Flash FloodDutch Bayou, St. John the Baptist Parish | 0 | 0 | $9.4M | |
| 2024-09-11 | Tropical StormSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2023-10-23 | Dense FogSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 7 | 55 | $3.9M | |
| 2021-08-29 | Storm Surge/TideSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $109M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-23 | Dense FogSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist A chain reaction event of car accidents occurred on I-55 near mile marker 14 as dense fog reduced visibility to near zero. The pile up that took place included 158 vehicles and resulted in dozens of injuries and several fatalities. Many vehicles caught fire and one toppled over the interstate guard rail and ended up ... | 7 | 55 | $3.9M | |
| 1992-08-25 | TornadoSt. John the Baptist Parish | F3 9 mi x 150 yd | 2 | 32 | $25M step |
| 2021-08-29 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist Ida’s winds downed trees and power lines parish-wide. Most structures in the parish suffered at least minor to moderate roof or other fascia damage, and numerous buildings collapsed or suffered other major damage in the form of roof or wall failure. Nearly every road in the parish was impassable due to downed trees, ... | 1 | 0 | $545M | |
| 2005-08-28 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous casualties in southeast Louisiana and ... | 1 | 0 | $256M | |
| 1998-06-23 | LightningEdgard, St. John the Baptist Parish A man working on a barge along the Mississippi River was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. He died on July 2, 1998 as a result of his lightning strike related injuries. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1983-12-06 | TornadoSt. John the Baptist Parish | F4 7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 25 | $25M step |
| 2016-02-23 | TornadoMontegut, St. John the Baptist Parish A strong tornado touched down in the LaPace area, just south of Airline Hwy near a church, removing much of its roof covering. It moved northeast through a retail area causing damage consistent with an EF-1 before moving through several densely populated subdivisions. In the Carrollwood subdivision, mostly superficial ... | EF2 4.69 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 17 | – |
| 2003-06-30 | TornadoReserve, St. John the Baptist Parish A tornado touched down briefly near Reserve striking a private high school and a mobile home park. Several buildings at the private school were damaged including on classroom building where one half of the building was completely demolished. Around 20 trailers were heavy damaged or destroyed. One mobile home was ... | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.2M |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-08-28 | Storm Surge/TideSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $138M | |
| 2021-08-29 | Storm Surge/TideSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $109M | |
| 2012-08-28 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2008-09-01 | Hurricane (Typhoon)St. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2024-09-11 | Flash FloodDutch Bayou, St. John the Baptist Parish | 0 | 0 | $9.4M | |
| 2023-10-23 | Dense FogSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 7 | 55 | $3.9M | |
| 2003-06-30 | TornadoReserve, St. John the Baptist Parish | F1 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.2M |
| 1998-08-01 | DroughtSt. John the Baptist Parish · forecast zone St. John The Baptist | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 25, 1992 (tornado, St. John the Baptist Parish, 2 killed); December 6, 1983 (tornado, St. John the Baptist Parish).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for St. John the Baptist Parish's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 7 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 20 | 10 | 9 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in St. John the Baptist Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 9 · Feb 7 · Mar 17 · Apr 17 · May 16 · Jun 18 · Jul 17 · Aug 35 · Sep 25 · Oct 14 · Nov 8 · Dec 11 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for St. John the Baptist Parish
FEMA's register lists 46 declarations that include St. John the Baptist Parish: 27 major disasters, 19 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (30) and coastal storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3638 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-16 | DR-4817 | Hurricane | Hurricane Francine |
| 2024-09-10 | EM-3614 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Francine |
| 2021-09-13 | EM-3574 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Nicholas |
| 2021-08-29 | DR-4611 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-27 | EM-3568 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ida |
| 2021-03-09 | DR-4590 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-18 | EM-3556 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021-01-12 | DR-4577 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2020-10-27 | EM-3549 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| 2020-10-16 | DR-4570 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-10-07 | EM-3547 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3543 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-08-28 | DR-4559 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 2020-08-23 | EM-3538 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Laura and Marco |
| 2020-06-07 | EM-3527 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Cristobal |
| 2020-03-24 | DR-4484 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3459 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-08-27 | DR-4458 | Hurricane | Hurricane Barry |
| 2019-07-11 | EM-3416 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Barry |
| 2017-10-06 | EM-3392 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Nate |
| 2016-08-14 | DR-4277 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-08-29 | DR-4080 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2012-08-27 | EM-3347 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaac |
| 2011-05-06 | EM-3322 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1792 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-09-02 | DR-1786 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3289 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2005-09-24 | DR-1607 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-21 | EM-3260 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1603 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-08-27 | EM-3212 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-09-15 | DR-1548 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-02-01 | EM-3172 | Other | Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia |
| 2002-10-03 | DR-1437 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lili |
| 2002-09-27 | DR-1435 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isidore |
| 2001-06-11 | DR-1380 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Allison |
| 1998-09-23 | DR-1246 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges/Ts Frances |
| 1995-05-10 | DR-1049 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1992-08-26 | DR-956 | Hurricane | Hurricane Andrew |
The 40 most recent of 46 are listed; the CSV has every one.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has St. John the Baptist Parish had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for St. John the Baptist Parish from 1996 to 2024, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), St. John the Baptist Parish ranks 62nd of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ida | 2021-08-29 | 2 | 1 |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-28 | 1 | 1 |
| Tropical Storm Francine | 2024-09-11 | 2 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | 2020-10-28 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Delta | 2020-10-09 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Isaac | 2012-08-28 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008-09-01 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Cindy | 2005-07-05 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Lili | 2002-10-02 | 1 | 0 |
| Tropical Storm Isidore | 2002-09-25 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $655 million on 8,979 claims filed in St. John the Baptist Parish; the most in one year was 3,653 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 4 · 1980: 13 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 19 · 1985: 53 · 1988: 23 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 5 · 1991: 41 · 1992: 9 · 1993: 5 · 1994: 8 · 1995: 93 · 1996: 8 · 1997: 10 · 1998: 49 · 1999: 7 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 77 · 2002: 123 · 2003: 9 · 2004: 16 · 2005: 751 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 10 · 2008: 148 · 2009: 33 · 2010: 6 · 2011: 14 · 2012: 3,385 · 2013: 8 · 2014: 13 · 2015: 11 · 2016: 15 · 2017: 23 · 2018: 12 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 43 · 2021: 3,653 · 2022: 16 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 226 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 4; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for St. John the Baptist Parish
FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. John the Baptist Parish Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $46.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | $28M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 24 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.0M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $519K | 88 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | 15 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.5M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with St. John the Baptist Parish
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in LouisianaEvery Louisiana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in LouisianaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Louisiana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in St. John the Baptist ParishThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download St. John the Baptist Parish's FEMA declarations (CSV)46 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis