St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22099 · population 51,686 · 738 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 239 records for St. Martin Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 184 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (85 records). The deadliest single record is the April 2, 2017 tornado: 2 deaths and $18,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 54 declarations naming the county since 1965, 51 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
239on 184 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
634 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$606Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
25strongest F3
FEMA declarations
54latest 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. Martin Parish most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 85 since 1965. 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.

St. Martin Parish: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 85 70 1965-2026 1 3 $1.1M 59 of 64
Floods 39 35 1996-2026 0 0 $293M 28 of 64
Hail 39 30 1984-2025 0 0 $20K 55 of 64
Tornadoes 25 23 1952-2024 3 30 $24M 61 of 64
Winter storms 20 15 2007-2025 0 0 $13K 41 of 64
Hurricanes and tropical storms 16 12 1998-2024 2 0 $268M 28 of 64
Drought 6 5 1996-2023 0 0 $19M 57 of 64
Heat 4 3 2000-2023 0 0 – 55 of 64
Heavy rain 2 2 2013-2024 0 0 – 24 of 64
Lightning 2 2 2006-2013 0 1 $63K 48 of 64
Extreme cold 1 1 2010-2010 0 0 – 58 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. Martin Parish had?

NOAA records 25 tornadoes in St. Martin Parish from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 3 deaths and 30 injuries recorded in the county. 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched St. Martin Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 3 of them in St. Martin Parish.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched St. Martin Parish, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1952-04-04 03:30, as SPC files itSunsetF220.4 mi4
2017-04-02 08:47, as SPC files itBreaux BridgeEF10.8 mi2
1977-04-21 05:15, as SPC files itBreaux BridgeF33.8 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.

Every tornado record filed for St. Martin Parish (25)
Every tornado recorded in St. Martin Parish, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-05-13 Atchafalaya, St. Martin Parish EFU 3.64 mi x 1 yd 0 0 –
2024-05-13 Atchafalaya, St. Martin Parish EFU 4.18 mi x 1 yd 0 0 –
2024-05-13 Cecelia, St. Martin Parish EF2 8.61 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $235K
2022-12-15 Bankers, St. Martin Parish EF1 0.09 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $20K
2021-01-06 Parks, St. Martin Parish EF1 1.16 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $54K
2017-04-02 Patin, St. Martin Parish EF1 0.8 mi x 20 yd 2 0 $18K
2013-01-13 Patin, St. Martin Parish EF1 0.38 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $127K
2013-01-10 Breaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish EF1 2.06 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $253K
2009-05-04 Catahoula, St. Martin Parish EF1 0.62 mi x 50 yd 0 3 $103K
2008-05-15 Breaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish EF1 3.79 mi x 50 yd 0 1 $2.1M
2008-02-12 St Martinville, St. Martin Parish EF0 0.26 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $21K
2007-02-13 Ruth, St. Martin Parish EF2 4.31 mi x 300 yd 0 3 $2.1M
2006-09-21 Cade, St. Martin Parish F0 1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1994-03-09 St. Martinville, St. Martin Parish F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $10K
1992-11-21 St. Martin Parish F2 13 mi x 73 yd 0 3 $250K step
1992-11-01 St. Martin Parish F2 0.5 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $25K step
1991-06-24 St. Martin Parish F0 0.5 mi x 13 yd 0 0 $3K step
1988-10-26 St. Martin Parish F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1988-06-18 St. Martin Parish F1 0.4 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1977-04-21 St. Martin Parish F3 3.8 mi x 440 yd 1 11 $2.5M step
1977-03-28 St. Martin Parish F1 0 3 $25K step
1971-09-16 St. Martin Parish F1 3.3 mi x 50 yd 0 6 $25K step
1965-01-22 St. Martin Parish F1 0.2 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1953-11-21 St. Martin Parish F2 13.6 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250K step
1952-04-04 St. Martin Parish F2 7.2 mi x 67 yd 0 0 $250K 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. Martin Parish?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2026 flash flood ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for St. Martin Parish
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-21 Flash FloodBushville, St. Martin Parish 0 0 $25K
2026-05-09 Flash FloodCecelia, St. Martin Parish 0 0 –
2026-02-14 Thunderstorm WindBreaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish 50 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2025-06-13 Thunderstorm WindBreaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish 50 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2025-06-13 Flash FloodCade, St. Martin Parish 0 0 –
2025-04-24 Flash FloodCade, St. Martin Parish 0 0 –
2025-04-22 HailBushville, St. Martin Parish 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2025-03-31 Flash FloodBreaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish 0 0 –
2025-03-29 Flash FloodCecilia, St. Martin Parish 0 0 –
2025-03-24 Thunderstorm WindBreaux Bridge, St. Martin Parish 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-01-21 Winter StormSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Lower St. Martin 0 0 –
2025-01-21 Winter StormSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin 0 0 –

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

Records with deaths or injuries in St. Martin Parish, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2017-04-02 TornadoPatin, St. Martin Parish A tornado touched down in a field off of Zin Zin Road, and caused a single wide mobile home to roll over. The walls and roof separated from the frame. A 38 year old woman and a 3 year old girl died in the mobile home. Maximum winds were estimated at 110 MPH. EF1 0.8 mi x 20 yd 2 0 $18K
1977-04-21 TornadoSt. Martin Parish F3 3.8 mi x 440 yd 1 11 $2.5M step
2020-10-09 Tropical StormSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin Wind gusts to near hurricane force and heavy rainfall lead to numerous downed trees and power lines across the parish. An 86 year old male refueled a hot generator and was killed by the resulting fire in Saint Martinville. 1 0 $91M
2008-09-01 Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin Hurricane Gustav moved across upper St. Martin Parish, damaging over 1000 homes and businesses. The hardest hit areas were Breaux Bridge to St. Martinville. A St. Martinville woman died in a house fire caused by a candle. 1 0 $89M
1992-06-13 Thunderstorm WindSt. Martin Parish 1 0 –
1971-09-16 TornadoSt. Martin Parish F1 3.3 mi x 50 yd 0 6 $25K step
2009-05-04 TornadoCatahoula, St. Martin Parish An EF1 Tornado with a path length of just over a half a mile and path width of 50 yards moved across the LeBlanc subdivision west of Catahoula. The tornado began in a field near the intersection of LD Drive and Higginbotham Road with large tree branches blown down and debris thrown into trees. Moving east-northeast, ... EF1 0.62 mi x 50 yd 0 3 $103K
2007-02-13 TornadoRuth, St. Martin Parish Wind speeds were estimated between 110 and 120 mph, or on the low end of EF2. This tornado was spawned by the same storm that produced the Youngsville tornado. The tornado began southwest of the intersection of Poydras Highway and Eunice Road and moved northeast, ending past Nursery Highway. Several brick homes had ... EF2 4.31 mi x 300 yd 0 3 $2.1M

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.

The costliest records in St. Martin Parish since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2016-08-14 FloodAnse La Butte, St. Martin Parish 0 0 $123M
2008-09-01 Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin 1 0 $89M
2002-10-03 Hurricane (Typhoon)St. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin 0 0 $48M
2016-08-12 Flash FloodBushville, St. Martin Parish 0 0 $37M
2020-10-09 Tropical StormSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Lower St. Martin 0 0 $23M
1998-08-01 DroughtSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin 0 0 $17M
2020-08-26 Tropical StormSt. Martin Parish · forecast zone Upper St. Martin 0 0 $11M
2013-01-08 Flash FloodCade, St. Martin Parish 0 0 $6.4M

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 21, 1977 (tornado, St. Martin Parish, 1 killed).

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. Martin 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).

St. Martin Parish: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind015111820921
Floods––––78168
Hail0001612155
Tornadoes21324535
Winter storms––––03125
Hurricanes and tropical storms––––1447

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. Martin Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 22 · Feb 16 · Mar 27 · Apr 26 · May 35 · Jun 36 · Jul 9 · Aug 23 · Sep 11 · Oct 9 · Nov 13 · Dec 12 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for St. Martin Parish

FEMA's register lists 54 declarations that include St. Martin Parish: 34 major disasters, 20 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (29) and flood (12).

Declarations including St. Martin Parish, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3638Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2024-09-16DR-4817HurricaneHurricane Francine
2024-09-10EM-3614HurricaneTropical Storm Francine
2021-09-13EM-3574Coastal StormTropical Storm Nicholas
2021-08-29DR-4611HurricaneHurricane Ida
2021-08-27EM-3568HurricaneTropical Storm Ida
2021-03-09DR-4590Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-18EM-3556Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2021-01-12DR-4577HurricaneHurricane Zeta
2020-10-27EM-3549HurricaneTropical Storm Zeta
2020-10-16DR-4570HurricaneHurricane Delta
2020-10-07EM-3547HurricaneHurricane Delta
2020-09-14EM-3543HurricaneHurricane Sally
2020-08-28DR-4559HurricaneHurricane Laura
2020-08-23EM-3538HurricaneTropical Storms Laura and Marco
2020-06-07EM-3527Coastal StormTropical Storm Cristobal
2020-03-24DR-4484BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3459BiologicalCovid-19
2019-09-19DR-4462FloodFlooding
2019-08-27DR-4458HurricaneHurricane Barry
2019-07-11EM-3416Coastal StormTropical Storm Barry
2019-05-29EM-3413FloodFlooding
2017-10-06EM-3392HurricaneTropical Storm Nate
2016-08-14DR-4277FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2012-08-29DR-4080HurricaneHurricane Isaac
2012-08-27EM-3347HurricaneTropical Storm Isaac
2011-08-18DR-4015FloodFlooding
2011-05-06EM-3322FloodFlooding
2008-09-13DR-1792HurricaneHurricane Ike
2008-09-02DR-1786HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2008-08-29EM-3289HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2007-02-23DR-1685Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2005-09-24DR-1607HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3260HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-08-29DR-1603HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-08-27EM-3212HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2004-09-15DR-1548HurricaneHurricane Ivan
2004-06-08DR-1521Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2003-02-01EM-3172OtherLoss of Space Shuttle Columbia
2002-10-03DR-1437HurricaneHurricane Lili

The 40 most recent of 54 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. Martin Parish had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 39 flood or flash flood records for St. Martin Parish from 1996 to 2026, on 35 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), St. Martin Parish ranks 250th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on St. Martin Parish's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Delta2020-10-0921
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0111
Hurricane Ida2021-08-2910
Hurricane Laura2020-08-2620
Hurricane Rita2005-09-2310
Hurricane Lili2002-10-0310
Tropical Storm Allison2001-06-0610

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $28.2 million on 1,466 claims filed in St. Martin Parish; the most in one year was 323 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 1 · 1979: 47 · 1980: 45 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 11 · 1983: 19 · 1984: 22 · 1985: 9 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 17 · 1990: 10 · 1991: 106 · 1992: 5 · 1993: 33 · 1994: 11 · 1995: 17 · 1996: 3 · 1997: 78 · 1998: 4 · 1999: 11 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 65 · 2002: 18 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 96 · 2005: 24 · 2006: 5 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 82 · 2009: 5 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 103 · 2012: 31 · 2013: 11 · 2014: 7 · 2015: 9 · 2016: 323 · 2017: 24 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 130 · 2020: 4 · 2021: 13 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 32 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 9; 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. Martin Parish

FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. Martin Parish Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $47.0 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.

National Risk Index ratings for St. Martin Parish (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
HurricaneRelatively High$21Monce in about 5 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively High$1.4M22 modeled event-days a year
Cold WaveRelatively High$5.4M1 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively High$753K87 a year (modeled)
Coastal FloodingRelatively High$3.2M3.7 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.9Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$157Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$995K10 modeled event-days a year

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with St. Martin Parish

  1. St. Landry Parish 457
  2. Lafayette Parish 391
  3. Iberia Parish 297
  4. Pointe Coupee Parish 297
  5. St. Mary Parish 281
  6. St. Martin Parish 239
  7. Iberville Parish 239
  8. Assumption Parish 164

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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