7,568 flood insurance claims·$161.1M paid·31 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of St. Charles Parish, supported by 56 recorded flash flood events over the last 30 years alongside occurrences of storm surge, tropical storms, and hurricanes. Recent events illustrate this vulnerability; for example, slow-moving thunderstorms driven by a weak surface low on July 17, 2025, inundated streets in Destrehan, New Sarpy, and LaPlace, stalled vehicles on Ormond Boulevard, and brought an inch of water into several homes in Luling. Earlier in the summer on June 14, 2025, sea breeze boundaries enhanced storm intensity and caused back-building storms that resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property owners in Zone A should pay the closest attention, having accounted for the vast majority of historical claims with 5,449 filings, an average payout of $34,236, and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Zone X properties also require attention, having registered 1,431 claims with an average payout of $23,834 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches, while Zone X shaded areas recorded 467 claims with an average payout of $18,326 and an average water depth of 2 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
8% of St. Charles Parish’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
5,946 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 3 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1995, with 2,031 claims and $55.7M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
55 NOAA storm reports from St. Charles Parish describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Louisiana flood stories →
51 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 31 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Francine | Sep 10, 2024 |
| Hurricane Francine | Sep 9, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Nicholas | Sep 12, 2021 |
| Hurricane Ida | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Ida | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
103 since 1996: 56 flash floods, 5 river or area floods and 18 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | $700,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2024 | — |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Jun 16, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2024 | $52.5M |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2024 | $1.0M |
| Storm Surge/Tide | Sep 11, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2025. A weak surface low developed along a stalled boundary near New Orleans on July 17, 2025, providing a focus for slow-moving thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall led to flash flooding across St. Charles Parish, where numerous streets in LaPlace, Destrehan, and New Sarpy were inundated. Broadcast media also reported stalled vehicles on Ormond Boulevard in Destrehan, and several homes in Luling took on about an inch of water.
Flash Flood · Jun 14, 2025. A typical active summertime regime was in place with widespread thunderstorm development. As some of these storms reached the city of New Orleans, they encountered a sea breeze boundary. This boundary both enhanced storm intensity and caused back building of storms. The result was heavy rain and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2024. A cluster of thunderstorms formed during the afternoon across southeast Louisiana in response to high moisture and instability. This cluster of storms were able to take advantage of mid-level dry air to produce severe winds across the Florida parishes and marine areas before pushing into the southshore and producing flash flooding.
Storm Surge/Tide · Jun 16, 2024. As a surface ridge nearby shifted off to the northeast during the 3rd weekend of June, light and variable winds became onshore and more steady state. By June 16th, the surface ridge shifted offshore into the Atlantic Ocean and a surface low pressure was developing as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula. It was at this point that east to southeast winds increased to 15-20 knots across local coastal waters and didn't l…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in St. Charles Parish is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.