Orleans Parish, Louisiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Orleans Parish's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.3 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, cold wave. Its storm record holds 628 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.7 | $223M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.7 | $3.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.7 | $15M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.2 | $8.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.5 | $47M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.5 | $215K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.2 | $1.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | $2.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 64.6 | $133K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.4 | $1.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 56.9 | $186K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $404K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 48.1 | $34K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 18.4 | $78 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 215 | 2 | $7.9M | 1st of 64 | 13th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 187 | 0 | $2.7M | 1st of 64 | 10th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 54 | 2 | – | 4th of 64 | 169th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 54 | 651 | $33.6B | 1st of 64 | 1st of 1,849 |
| Hail | 37 | 0 | – | 8th of 64 | 442nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 1 | $103M | 2nd of 64 | 5th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | – | 13th of 64 | 776th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 8 | 3 | $377K | 4th of 64 | 114th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 8 | 3 | – | 15th of 64 | 2450th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 3 | – | 1st of 64 | 841st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $47K | 1st of 64 | 1421st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 1st of 64 | 301st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Orleans Parish record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.