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Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Moderate overall risk
9th of 64highest risk in Louisiana
$107Mexpected losses a year
45federal declarations
1 in 7homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 93% of US counties. It ranks 9th of 64 parishes in Louisiana. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $107 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $809 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (28 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 7 homes here carry federal flood insurance (6,827 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $177 million on 4,296 claims here, including $98 million for floods in 2016.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Tangipahoa Parish

$54.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$34.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 1 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$5.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneHigh97.9
$54M
Inland floodingModerate91.2
$34M
TornadoHigh90.2
$6M
Cold waveModerate83.4
$4M
Heat waveModerate93.1
$3M
LightningHigh93.8
$1M
Strong windModerate80.7
$1M
HailModerate85.6
$973K
DroughtModerate84.3
$931K
Coastal floodingModerate69.4
$817K
EarthquakeLow65.3
$482K
Ice stormModerate78.7
$289K
WildfireLow78.3
$267K
Winter weatherLow29.1
$22K
LandslideVery Low30.8
$259

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively high and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Tangipahoa Parish. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane29
Flood6
Coastal Storm4
Severe Ice Storm2
Snowstorm1
Tornado1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 16, 2024Hurricane FrancineMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2024Tropical Storm FrancineEmergency
Sep 13, 2021Tropical Storm NicholasEmergency
Aug 29, 2021Hurricane IdaMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2021Tropical Storm IdaEmergency
Mar 9, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Feb 18, 2021Severe Winter StormEmergency
Jan 12, 2021Hurricane ZetaMajor disaster
Oct 27, 2020Tropical Storm ZetaEmergency
Show all 45
Oct 16, 2020Hurricane DeltaMajor disaster
Oct 7, 2020Hurricane DeltaEmergency
Sep 14, 2020Hurricane SallyEmergency
Aug 28, 2020Hurricane LauraMajor disaster
Aug 23, 2020Tropical Storms Laura and MarcoEmergency
Jun 7, 2020Tropical Storm CristobalEmergency
Aug 27, 2019Hurricane BarryMajor disaster
Jul 11, 2019Tropical Storm BarryEmergency
Oct 6, 2017Tropical Storm NateEmergency
Aug 14, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 13, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2012Tropical Storm IsaacEmergency
Sep 13, 2008Hurricane IkeMajor disaster
Sep 2, 2008Hurricane GustavMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Sep 24, 2005Hurricane RitaMajor disaster
Sep 21, 2005Hurricane RitaEmergency
Aug 29, 2005Hurricane KatrinaMajor disaster
Aug 27, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Sep 15, 2004Hurricane IvanMajor disaster
Oct 3, 2002Hurricane LiliMajor disaster
Sep 27, 2002Tropical Storm IsidoreMajor disaster
Jun 11, 2001Tropical Storm AllisonMajor disaster
Sep 23, 1998Hurricane Georges/Ts FrancesMajor disaster
May 10, 1995Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 2, 1993Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 26, 1992Hurricane AndrewMajor disaster
Jun 16, 1989Severe Storms & TornadoesMajor disaster
Nov 1, 1985Hurricane JuanMajor disaster
Apr 20, 1983Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
May 2, 1977Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 22, 1977Drought & FreezingEmergency
Apr 27, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 1965Hurricane BetsyMajor disaster

Louisiana also had 9 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1951

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 495 storm reports in Tangipahoa Parish since 1951, with 7 deaths and 35 injuries and about $1.1 billion in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on February 6, 1953.

79tornadoes
72hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
281damaging thunderstorm winds
39floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Feb 6, 1953F3–0 / 0
Dec 4, 1973F2–3 / 0
Sep 5, 1977F2–1 / 0
Feb 15, 1992F2–10 / 0
Dec 23, 2014EF2Amite0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 12, 2016Flash FloodGreenlaw$629M
Aug 13, 2016FloodGreenlaw$315M
Aug 13, 2016FloodGullett$105M
Feb 6, 1953Tornado–$3M
Dec 4, 1973Tornado–$3M
Sep 5, 1977Tornado–$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 5, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1856, 16 hurricanes and 31 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Tangipahoa Parish, 24 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Camille (1969), with top winds near 175 mph about 64 miles away.

16hurricanes
3major hurricanes (Category 3+)
31tropical storms
2024most recent: Francine

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 18, 1969CamilleCategory 5, 175 mph64 mi
Aug 29, 2021IdaCategory 3, 125 mph59 mi
Aug 29, 2005KatrinaCategory 3, 120 mph61 mi
Sep 2, 1985ElenaCategory 2, 105 mph60 mi
Oct 28, 2020ZetaCategory 2, 105 mph64 mi
Sep 10, 1965BetsyCategory 2, 105 mph62 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 12, 2024FrancineCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Aug 29, 2021IdaCategory 3, 125 mph59 mi
Jun 19, 2021ClaudetteTropical storm, 45 mph52 mi
Oct 28, 2020ZetaCategory 2, 105 mph64 mi
Jun 7, 2020CristobalTropical storm, 50 mph64 mi
Aug 29, 2012IsaacTropical storm, 70 mph65 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Tangipahoa Parish

Check your address flood zone ›
15.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (6,827 policies)
34.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$177 millionpaid on 4,296 flood claims since 1978
2016costliest year, with $98.3 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Tangipahoa Parish

$212,900median home value (Louisiana $216,500, US $332,700)
1993median year homes were built (Louisiana 1983, US 1980)
30%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
19%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 60,006 housing units.

Compare in Louisiana

All 64 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
East Baton Rouge ParishHighInland flooding
Jefferson ParishHighHurricane
Orleans ParishHighHurricane
St. Tammany ParishHighHurricane
Lafayette ParishHighHurricane
Caddo ParishModerateInland flooding
Calcasieu ParishHighHurricane
Ouachita ParishModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
St. Tammany ParishHigh47
Livingston ParishHigh49
Washington ParishModerate39
St. John the Baptist ParishModerate43
Pike County, MSLow32
Amite County, MSLow27
St. Helena ParishVery Low37

Common questions about Tangipahoa Parish

What is the biggest natural hazard in Tangipahoa Parish?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Tangipahoa Parish, about $54.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $34.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Tangipahoa Parish had?

Tangipahoa Parish has been included in 45 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 28 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Tangipahoa Parish a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 9th highest of 64 in Louisiana. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Tangipahoa Parish?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 7 homes in Tangipahoa Parish has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Tangipahoa Parish had?

NOAA records list 79 tornadoes in Tangipahoa Parish since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on February 6, 1953. The weather service has also logged 72 hail reports and 39 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Tangipahoa Parish?

NOAA's hurricane records show 16 hurricanes and 31 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Tangipahoa Parish, including 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Camille (1969), with winds near 175 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole parish, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.