St. James Parish, Louisiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates St. James Parish's overall risk Relatively Low (score 71.0 of 100, higher than 70% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, drought, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 159 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 | Relatively High | 94.1 | $13M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 90.9 | $1.4M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 83.4 | $2.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | $1.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $549K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 48.1 | $168K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $576K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 27.3 | $21K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 23.3 | $167K |
| Hail | Very Low | 32.7 | $103K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 30.2 | $60K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 25.5 | $2.3M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 9.3 | $18 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 7.2 | $4K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 4.8 | $1K |
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 | 45 | 0 | $161K | 43rd of 64 | 1624th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 24 | 0 | – | 17th of 64 | 279th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 20 | 0 | $18M | 14th of 64 | 956th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 1 | $330M | 6th of 64 | 70th of 1,849 |
| Hail | 13 | 0 | – | 53rd of 64 | 2503rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 3 | $207K | 31st of 64 | 588th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | $45M | 23rd of 64 | 1029th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 6 | 0 | – | 27th of 64 | 2610th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 4th of 64 | 1285th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $5K | 18th of 64 | 561st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | – | 30th of 64 | 2726th 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 St. James Parish record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.