Natural Disasters in New Orleans, LA
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
98.3
Relatively High
Expected Annual Loss
97.8
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
77.5
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
99.9
Score (0-100)
Top Hazard Risks
| Hazard | Risk Score |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | 99.7 |
| Lightning | 98.7 |
| Cold Wave | 97.7 |
| Heat Wave | 97.2 |
| Hail | 92.8 |
| Winter Weather | 84.5 |
| Coastal Flood | 81.2 |
| Earthquake | 80.4 |
| Tornado | 71.6 |
| Ice Storm | 64.6 |
| Drought | 56.9 |
| Wildfire | 48.1 |
| Strong Wind | 46.8 |
| Landslide | 18.4 |
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster Declarations
Source: FEMA OpenFEMATotal Declarations
39
Most Recent
Winter Storm
Jan 2026
Most Common Type
Hurricane
26 declarations
| Date | Type | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Sep 16, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FRANCINE |
| Sep 10, 2024 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Other | SEAWATER INTRUSION |
| Sep 13, 2021 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS |
| Aug 29, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM IDA |
| Mar 9, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS |
| Feb 18, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM |
| Jan 12, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA |
| Oct 27, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM ZETA |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DELTA |
| Oct 7, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE DELTA |
| Sep 14, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE SALLY |
| Aug 28, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA |
| Aug 23, 2020 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORMS LAURA AND MARCO |
| Jun 7, 2020 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL |
| Mar 24, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 |
| Aug 27, 2019 | Hurricane | HURRICANE BARRY |
Showing 20 of 39 declarations
Individual Assistance
Source: FEMA Housing AssistanceTotal IA Registrations
1,092,057
Total IA Distributed
N/A
Repair/Replace
$308,334,804
Rental Assistance
N/A
| Disaster | Registrations | Total IA $ | Avg Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-1439 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-4590 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-4263 | 2 | N/A | — |
| DR-1763 | 4 | N/A | — |
| DR-1650 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-4606 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-4483 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-1709 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-1614 | 1 | N/A | — |
| DR-1603 | 570,838 | N/A | $29,870 |
Showing top 10 of 29 disasters by IA amount
Individual and household assistance for homeowners and renters affected by federally declared disasters.
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
127,222
Total Claims Paid
N/A
Avg Claim Payout
$57,386
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Disaster Recovery Spending
Source: FEMA Public AssistanceTotal Federal Spending
N/A
Disasters with PA
17
Total Projects
3,879
| Disaster | Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-1603 | Hurricane | 2,842 | N/A |
| DR-4611 | Hurricane | 470 | $151,290,214 |
| DR-4484 | Biological | 52 | $109,657,188 |
| DR-1786 | Hurricane | 189 | $27,145,401 |
| DR-4080 | Hurricane | 93 | $21,730,985 |
| DR-4577 | Hurricane | 61 | $7,031,768 |
| DR-4458 | Hurricane | 11 | $3,762,341 |
| DR-4817 | Hurricane | 37 | $2,643,393 |
| DR-1437 | Hurricane | 73 | $1,472,072 |
| DR-3392 | Flood | 8 | $1,347,610 |
| DR-3543 | Tropical Storm | 14 | $809,331 |
| DR-4559 | Hurricane | 14 | $603,256 |
| DR-3600 | Other | 2 | $247,015 |
| DR-4590 | Severe Storm(s) | 4 | $102,789 |
| DR-3527 | Tropical Storm | 3 | $46,396 |
Showing top 15 of 17 disasters by spending
Hazard Mitigation
Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation AssistanceMitigation Projects
73
Federal Funding
$162,278,529
Properties Protected
526
Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio
2.19
BCR
Top Mitigation Project Types
| Project Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|
| 202.1: Elevation of Private Structures - Riverine | 9 | $20,381,364 |
| 91.1: Local Multihazard Mitigation Plan | 6 | $696,923 |
| 202.1: Elevation of Private Structures - Riverine; 202.2: Elevation of Private Structures - Coastal | 6 | $48,068,991 |
| 97.1: Expanded Mitigation Strategies - PILOT | 3 | $196,649 |
| 202.2: Elevation of Private Structures - Coastal | 3 | $21,054,514 |
Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.
New Orleans has a relatively high overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are hurricane, lightning, cold wave. The area has had 39 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is hurricane (26 declarations). 127,222 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated N/A in public assistance recovery funding. N/A has been distributed in individual assistance to disaster-affected residents. 73 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.