Enter any address in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana to see its FEMA flood zone
Tropical storms and hurricanes have been the most frequent storm types impacting St. Helena Parish County over the last 30 years, with 5 hurricanes and 4 tropical storms recorded. Recent events include Hurricane Ida in August 2021 and Tropical Storm Delta in October 2020. Flash flooding has also occurred, with 4 events noted in the NOAA Storm Events Database, resulting in 2 fatalities.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $52,159 and an average water depth of 4.9 feet. Zone X also shows significant claims, averaging $40,737 with a 4.6-foot water depth. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk or without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay particular attention to flood preparedness.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
9 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
St. Helena Parish, Louisiana has recorded 15 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 4 flash floods and 1 river or area floods. The county has received 39 federal disaster declarations, 6 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Francine | Hurricane | Sep 10, 2024 |
| Hurricane Francine | Hurricane | Sep 9, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Nicholas | Coastal Storm | Sep 12, 2021 |
| Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Tropical Storm Ida | Hurricane | Aug 26, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2020 |
| Tropical Storm Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 26, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 29, 2021 | 50.00M |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 9, 2020 | 500.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Jul 13, 2019 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2016 | 22.60M (2 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Mar 10, 2016 | 600.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 20, 2014 | 25.00K |
| Hurricane (Typhoon) | Aug 28, 2012 | 4.00M |
| Flash Flood | Mar 8, 2011 | 50.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 2, 2011 | 5.00K |
| Tropical Depression | Aug 24, 2008 | 0.00K |
Hurricane (Typhoon) — Aug 29, 2021
The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Ida originated from a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea on August 23rd. On August 26th, the wave developed into a tropical depression, which organized further and became Tropical Storm Ida later that day, near Grand Cayman. On a northwestward track, Ida intensified into a hurricane on Aug...
Tropical Storm — Oct 9, 2020
Delta first developed into a tropical depression in the Caribbean just south of Jamaica on the afternoon of October 4th. As it tracked across the western Caribbean, it rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane. In fact, intensifying from tropical depression to Category strength in 40 hours is the fastest rate of intensification of any storm on record in the Atlantic Basin. Delta quickly w...
Tropical Storm — Jul 13, 2019
Hurricane Barry initially developed from a disturbance that moved from Georgia southwest to the northeast Gulf of Mexico on July 8-9, 2019. The weak low pressure system continued to move west-southwest and strengthen, and was eventually classified as Tropical Storm Barry on the morning of July 11th, 95 miles south southeast of the Mouth of the Mississippi River.||Barry continued to move slowly ...
Flash Flood — Aug 12, 2016
A slow moving low pressure system brought widespread showers and thunderstorms to the area. The system tapped into deep tropical moisture resulting in very intense rainfall across a large portion of the area. Two-day rainfall totals of 10 inches or more were common across areas generally to the west and northwest of Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas. The heaviest rainfall occurred across a swath...
Flash Flood — Mar 10, 2016
A closed upper low moved across the southern United States.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.