PlainHazard

Interactive tool · FEMA + NOAA data

Historical Disaster Activity Index

Compare any U.S. state or county on a disclosed 0–100 historical-activity index. State scores use FEMA declarations and NOAA event and damage history; county scores use FEMA declaration frequency, density, Major Disaster share, and declared-hazard diversity. See our methodology.

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana result

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana has a very high PlainHazard historical-activity score of 79/100, based on 49 FEMA declarations and 8 declared hazard types. It summarizes recorded activity; it is not a forecast or a FEMA risk rating.

79/100
very high historical activity
49
FEMA disaster declarations on record
8
declared hazard types in the score

The disclosed county formula and every factor are shown directly below.

79 / 100

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

Very High historical activity

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana has very high historical activity on PlainHazard's disclosed factors. This is not a forecast or a FEMA risk rating.

View full county profile

This is PlainHazard's own derived historical-activity index, not FEMA's National Risk Index and not directly comparable to the FEMA score shown below. County results use FEMA declaration measures because this database does not contain county-level NOAA damage. For evacuation planning, insurance decisions, or other personal safety decisions, consult local emergency management, the National Weather Service, or FEMA directly.

Score Breakdown

FEMA Declarations (1953–present) 30 / 30

49 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (2.4x national county average)

County Disaster Density 15 / 25

49 declarations (1.2x state county average of 41)

Major Disaster Share 14 / 25

27 of 49 declarations are major disasters (55%)

Hazard Diversity 20 / 20

8 different disaster types declared in St. Mary Parish

Recorded evidence

The signals behind this score

Each number is a disclosed historical input. It describes the record, not a forecast of future danger.

FEMA declarations
49
Major disasters
27
Hazard types
8
Flood insurance claims
2,532

FEMA National Risk Index

St. Mary Parish hazard risk profile

FEMA's NRI models all 64 counties in Louisiana across 18 natural hazards, weighting expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.

Overall rating

Relatively Moderate

Rank in Louisiana

14th of 64

1 = highest risk

Expected annual loss

$60.7M

all hazards combined

Population at risk

49,313

residents modeled

Highest-risk hazards for St. Mary Parish

FEMA models 18 hazard types. Risk score = national percentile (100 = highest risk nationally). Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled dollar figure, not a prediction.

Hazard Rating Risk score Exp. annual loss
Hurricane Relatively High 97.3 $38.8M
Coastal Flooding Relatively High 93.0 $6.5M
Drought Relatively High 91.1 $1.4M
Tornado Relatively Moderate 86.4 $4.4M
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate 76.7 $2.3M
Heat Wave Relatively Low 74.9 $897.9K
Lightning Relatively Moderate 66.7 $343.1K
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low 50.1 $5.3M

Nearest-risk counties in Louisiana

Counties with the most similar FEMA NRI risk score within the same state.

County State rank Rating Risk score
St. Mary Parish (you) 14th Relatively Moderate 88.9
Lafourche 12th Relatively Moderate 91.3
Iberia 13th Relatively Moderate 90.6
Acadia 15th Relatively Moderate 88.6
St. Landry 16th Relatively Moderate 88.2

Peers selected by closest NRI risk score in Louisiana. View St. Mary Parish's full profile for the complete hazard timeline.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI). Risk scores are national percentiles (0-100); 100 = highest risk nationally for that hazard. Expected annual loss is FEMA's modeled estimate from historical hazard frequency, exposed assets, and community resilience, not a prediction or insurance figure.

Top Disaster Types in St. Mary Parish

Disaster Type Declarations Share
Hurricane 30 61.2%
Flood 7 14.3%
Coastal Storm 4 8.2%
Other 2 4.1%
Severe Ice Storm 2 4.1%
Biological 2 4.1%
Winter Storm 1 2.0%
Severe Storm 1 2.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the historical-activity score calculated?

The state score combines FEMA declaration frequency (30 points), NOAA storm-event frequency (25), NOAA property and crop damage (25), and declared-hazard diversity (20). County rows do not contain county-level NOAA damage in this database, so the county score instead uses FEMA declaration frequency (30), declaration density versus the state county average (25), Major Disaster share (25), and declared-hazard diversity (20). PlainHazard labels both as derived historical indexes, not FEMA National Risk Index scores.

What data sources are used?

The calculator uses FEMA OpenFEMA declaration records (1953–2026) for state and county scores. State scores also use NOAA Storm Events records (2015–2025); county scores do not because this database has no county-level NOAA damage. FEMA and NOAA publish the source records; the weighted score is PlainHazard-derived.

What does the historical-activity band mean?

Low (0-24), Moderate (25-49), High (50-74), and Very High (75-100) compare the recorded factors used by this tool. They describe relative historical activity, not future hazard probability, a FEMA risk rating, or a safety forecast.

Can I compare historical activity for a specific county?

Yes. Select a state first, then optionally select a county to see its historical declaration record and FEMA National Risk Index context. PlainHazard scores use FEMA declarations for that county compared with national and state averages.

How often is the data updated?

The underlying database includes FEMA declarations through 2026 and NOAA storm events through 2025. PlainHazard scores reflect the historical record available from each source and do not predict future events.

How to use this

This score is a historical-data summary, not a prediction, use it as a starting point for further research, not a final verdict on any one place.

  • Score your state first to set a national baseline, then narrow to a specific county for localized detail. Browse states
  • A low county score does not guarantee low risk, rare but severe hazards (a single major hurricane or earthquake) can score low on this 2015-2025 window while still posing real long-run exposure.
  • FEMA's National Risk Index, official local hazard maps, and current emergency guidance are separate sources; this retrospective index contains none of their real-time or predictive signals. Read the methodology

This historical-activity score is PlainHazard's own derived index, weighted and combined from federal source data. It is not FEMA's National Risk Index or an official government rating.

Data sources: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (1953–2026), NOAA Storm Events Database, NFIP Flood Insurance Claims. Historical-activity scores are computed by PlainHazard and do not predict future events. This tool is for informational purposes only.

PlainHazard calculates this historical-activity score from federal source data covering 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. FEMA does not publish or endorse this score. Read our methodology for how the score is computed.

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.