Lafayette Parish, Louisiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lafayette Parish's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.2 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, hurricane, cold wave. Its storm record holds 391 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 98.7 | $3.9M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.4 | $98M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.6 | $19M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.3 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.1 | $4.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 93.0 | $57M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $930K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 65.3 | $2.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.7 | $555K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.4 | $760K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 45.0 | $51K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 42.7 | $53K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.0 | $58K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 23.2 | $172 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 145 | 1 | $3.6M | 5th of 64 | 274th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 78 | 0 | – | 7th of 64 | 342nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $1.6B | 3rd of 64 | 153rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 2 | $105M | 3rd of 64 | 8th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 16 | 0 | $7.5M | 3rd of 64 | 93rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 15 | 2 | $932K | 3rd of 64 | 2178th of 3,077 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 10 | 1 | $736M | 13th of 64 | 180th of 1,849 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | $22M | 41st of 64 | 1690th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 1 | – | 40th of 64 | 1171st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 6th of 64 | 798th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $146K | 6th of 64 | 2274th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | $14K | 44th of 64 | 2437th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Lafayette Parish record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.