Every federal disaster in New Orleans since 1953

Declarations

46since 1953

Major disasters

26the most serious kind

Since 2000

39declarations

Most recent

2026Severe Winter Storm

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orleans County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by hurricane, lightning and inland flooding. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.

All declarations

Frequently asked questions

How many federal disasters has New Orleans had?

Since 1953, the federal government has issued 46 disaster or emergency declarations covering Orleans Parish, including 26 major disaster declarations. 39 of them came in 2000 or later.

What was the most recent federal disaster in New Orleans?

Severe Winter Storm (Emergency, declared January 24, 2026).

What kinds of disasters hit New Orleans most often?

By FEMA incident type: hurricane (29), coastal storm (4), biological (3) and flood (2).

New to New Orleans? The moving checklist covers flood maps and emergency alerts, and the risk summary shows FEMA's hazard ratings.

Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), downloaded October 18, 2026. We list declarations that named Orleans Parish, plus early statewide declarations from before FEMA designated individual counties. "Major disaster" declarations bring the widest federal aid; "emergency" declarations cover shorter-term help; "fire management" declarations help pay to fight large wildfires.