FEMA Records
38
Very high volume
Louisiana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA
38 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 38
- FEMA declarations
- 20
- Major disasters
- 32
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
West Baton Rouge Parish has a nationally busy FEMA history: 38 declarations, more than 95% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 8% below the Louisiana county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county safer than 32%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Safer than 32%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 38
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 285
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does West Baton Rouge Parish compare?
West Baton Rouge Parish vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
38 Top 5% higher than 95% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
West Baton Rouge Parish's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Louisiana county average
What does West Baton Rouge Parish's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 285 paid claims, totaling $7.4M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $26.1K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Louisiana county averages 41.4 federal declaration records, while West Baton Rouge Parish has 38. The gap is 8% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 31.8/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $13.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hurricane carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 5 years here, based on 54 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, West Baton Rouge Parish's 38 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Louisiana, however, the count is 8% below the county mean. 20 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Hurricane, appearing 22 times. The full 61-year record averages 0.6 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
72 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Very High
28/30
38 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.8x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
38 declarations (0.9x state county average of 41)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
20 of 38 declarations are major disasters (53%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in West Baton Rouge Parish
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Louisiana Avg
-8%
State avg: 41.4
vs. National Avg
+83%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.6
Over 61 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - West Baton Rouge Parish
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
53%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
32
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike West Baton Rouge Parish?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 5 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 21 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 6 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 15 modeled event-days per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 87 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,107 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 500 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 33 years |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 46,480 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 22
Coastal Storm 4
Flood 4
Severe Ice Storm 2
Biological 2
Winter Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Other 1
Tornado 1
What Hurricane declarations mean here
Hurricane is the most frequent declaration type on West Baton Rouge Parish's federal record, 58% of its declarations. Atlantic tropical systems run on a defined season, 1 June to 30 November, with most activity concentrated between August and October; Pacific and territorial basins run on their own calendars. A single named storm routinely produces one declaration number covering a long corridor of counties at once, well inland as well as on the coast, which is why an affected county's count can jump by several in one year without several separate events having occurred.
One practical distinction matters when reading these records: a tropical declaration usually bundles wind, storm surge and inland rainfall flooding under a single incident, but the insurance behind them is split. Wind damage falls to property insurers, while flood and surge damage is covered only under a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy. That is why a county can show heavy declaration activity and a comparatively small NFIP claims record, or the reverse.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 20 52.6%
of all 38 declarations
Emergency - 18 47.4%
of all 38 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 9 | |
| 2020 | 6 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 4 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
Show 3 earlier declaration years
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 38 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 38 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3638 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 3614 | TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE | EM | Hurricane | 2024-09-10 |
| 3574 | TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS | EM | Coastal Storm | 2021-09-13 |
| 4611 | HURRICANE IDA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-08-29 |
| 3568 | TROPICAL STORM IDA | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-27 |
| 4590 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-03-09 |
| 3556 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-18 |
| 4577 | HURRICANE ZETA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-01-12 |
| 3549 | TROPICAL STORM ZETA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-10-27 |
| 4570 | HURRICANE DELTA | DR | Hurricane | 2020-10-16 |
| 3547 | HURRICANE DELTA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-10-07 |
| 3543 | HURRICANE SALLY | EM | Hurricane | 2020-09-14 |
| 4559 | HURRICANE LAURA | DR | Hurricane | 2020-08-28 |
| 3538 | TROPICAL STORMS LAURA AND MARCO | EM | Hurricane | 2020-08-23 |
| 3527 | TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL | EM | Coastal Storm | 2020-06-07 |
| 4484 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-24 |
| 3459 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3416 | TROPICAL STORM BARRY | EM | Coastal Storm | 2019-07-11 |
| 4277 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-08-14 |
| 4080 | HURRICANE ISAAC | DR | Hurricane | 2012-08-29 |
Show 18 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3347 | TROPICAL STORM ISAAC | EM | Hurricane | 2012-08-27 |
| 4015 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-08-18 |
| 3322 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2011-05-06 |
| 1786 | HURRICANE GUSTAV | DR | Hurricane | 2008-09-02 |
| 3289 | HURRICANE GUSTAV | EM | Hurricane | 2008-08-29 |
| 1607 | HURRICANE RITA | DR | Hurricane | 2005-09-24 |
| 3260 | HURRICANE RITA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-21 |
| 1603 | HURRICANE KATRINA | DR | Hurricane | 2005-08-29 |
| 3212 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-08-27 |
| 1521 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-08 |
| 3172 | LOSS OF SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA | EM | Other | 2003-02-01 |
| 1437 | HURRICANE LILI | DR | Hurricane | 2002-10-03 |
| 1380 | TROPICAL STORM ALLISON | DR | Coastal Storm | 2001-06-11 |
| 956 | HURRICANE ANDREW | DR | Hurricane | 1992-08-26 |
| 833 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1989-06-16 |
| 374 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-04-27 |
| 315 | HURRICANE EDITH | DR | Hurricane | 1971-10-13 |
| 208 | HURRICANE BETSY | DR | Hurricane | 1965-09-10 |
Storm Events in Louisiana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to West Baton Rouge Parish.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,274 | 12 | 29 | $24.9M |
| Flash Flood | 1,516 | 20 | 17 | $3.9B |
| Hail | 1,224 | 0 | 0 | $49.3M |
| Excessive Heat | 1,183 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 1,106 | 5 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
285
Total Paid
$7.4M
Avg Per Claim
$26.1K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 31.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$13.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Hail Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hurricane
Hurricane exposure in the model bundles the three ways a tropical system does harm, which arrive on different timescales and are insured differently: wind, storm surge on the coast, and rainfall flooding that can reach far inland well after landfall.
For West Baton Rouge Parish the two measures on this page point the same way: Hurricane is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively Moderate), and Hurricane declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
West Baton Rouge Parish's closest FEMA peer: Norfolk County, MA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for West Baton Rouge Parish. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
West Baton Rouge Parish shows 38 FEMA declarations, led by Hurricane.
Similar Major-disaster share
West Baton Rouge Parish: 20 of 38 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
West Baton Rouge Parish: NRI composite 31.8 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for West Baton Rouge Parish - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
West Baton Rouge Parish's NFIP claims file (285 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in West Baton Rouge Parish?
The most common disaster type in West Baton Rouge Parish is Hurricane, with 22 declarations. Other disaster types include Coastal Storm (4), Flood (4), Severe Ice Storm (2).
How does West Baton Rouge Parish's FEMA declaration record compare with the Louisiana average?
The typical Louisiana county has 41.4 FEMA declaration records; West Baton Rouge Parish has 38, or 8% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 83% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has West Baton Rouge Parish received?
West Baton Rouge Parish has received 20 major disaster declarations, representing 53% of all 38 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has West Baton Rouge Parish filed?
West Baton Rouge Parish has 285 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $7.4M in payments, with an average of $26.1K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in West Baton Rouge Parish?
The most active year for disaster declarations in West Baton Rouge Parish was 2021, with 9 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for West Baton Rouge Parish?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana has an overall risk score of 31.8 out of 100 (Very Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Very Low; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $13.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to West Baton Rouge Parish?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for West Baton Rouge Parish is Hurricane (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Drought (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hurricane here at roughly once every 5 years, drawn from 54 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for West Baton Rouge Parish
Against a Louisiana county mean of 41 declarations, West Baton Rouge Parish, LA records 38, or 8% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (20 of 38) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Louisiana overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 95% of recorded county totals, but its own Louisiana benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- Use the data guide to separate this mid-volume insurance-claims file from declaration counts and modeled NRI risk. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.