St. Bernard Parish

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within St. Bernard Parish: 1.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

High tide flooding

1. High tide flooding days are days on which a NOAA tide gauge recorded water at or above NOAA's minor flood threshold, set from the gauge's tide range, counted by meteorological year (May to April). These are the counts in NOAA's annual high tide flooding reports; they are not National Weather Service flood stages. Years with less than 80 percent of data are left out.

NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, through April 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Aug 29, 2005Storm Surge/Tide, Upper St. Bernard$3.0 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm surge damage in southeast Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans area and the coastal parishes, was catastrophic. Hurricane protection levees and floodwalls were overtopped and/or breached resulting in widespread and deep flooding of homes and businesses. Much of Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes and nearly all of St. Bernard Parish were flooded by storm surge. Approximately 80 percent of the city of New Orleans was flooded. Thousands of people were stranded by the flood waters in homes and buildings and on rooftops for several days and had to be rescued by boat and helicopter. In Jefferson Parish, levees were not compromised, however many homes were flooded by either heavy…

2. Aug 29, 2005Storm Surge/Tide, Lower St. Bernard$3.0 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm surge damage in southeast Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans area and the coastal parishes, was catastrophic. Hurricane protection levees and floodwalls were overtopped and/or breached resulting in widespread and deep flooding of homes and businesses. Much of Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes and nearly all of St. Bernard Parish were flooded by storm surge. Approximately 80 percent of the city of New Orleans was flooded. Thousands of people were stranded by the flood waters in homes and buildings and on rooftops for several days and had to be rescued by boat and helicopter. In Jefferson Parish, levees were not compromised, however many homes were flooded by either heavy…

3. Aug 28, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Lower St. Bernard$1.8 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous casualties in southeast Louisiana and along the Mississippi coast. Damage and casualties resulting from Hurricane Katrina extended as far east as Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Katrina developed from a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas on August 24th. After moving through the Bahamas as a tropical storm, Katrina strengthened to a category 1 hurricane prior to landfall in south Florida…

4. Aug 28, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Upper St. Bernard$1.8 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous casualties in southeast Louisiana and along the Mississippi coast. Damage and casualties resulting from Hurricane Katrina extended as far east as Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Katrina developed from a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas on August 24th. After moving through the Bahamas as a tropical storm, Katrina strengthened to a category 1 hurricane prior to landfall in south Florida…

5. Aug 29, 2021Storm Surge/Tide, Lower St. Bernard$250 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ida���s storm surge flooded areas outside the hurricane and storm damage risk reduction system levees. Along Hwy 46, the Florissant rock dam was overtopped by storm surge, flooding the communities of Delacroix, Yscloskey, Shell Beach, and Hopedale with up to 6-8 ft of water. Most structures in these areas are elevated, but water flooded numerous garages and other under-home storage areas. During the storm, 22 barges broke loose near Chalmette, one of which collided with the dock at the Valero refinery.

6. Aug 29, 2021Storm Surge/Tide, Upper St. Bernard$250 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ida���s storm surge flooded areas outside the hurricane and storm damage risk reduction system levees. Along Hwy 46, the Florissant rock dam was overtopped by storm surge, flooding the communities of Delacroix, Yscloskey, Shell Beach, and Hopedale with up to 6-8 ft of water. Most structures in these areas are elevated, but water flooded numerous garages and other under-home storage areas. During the storm, 22 barges broke loose near Chalmette, one of which collided with the dock at the Valero refinery.

7. Dec 14, 2022Tornado$50.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado entered into Orleans Parish from Jefferson Parish as it crossed the Mississippi River and moved into Arabi. It continued to cause damage to trees, power lines and structures as it moved northeastward. Minor fascia damage was noted to an apartment building where the tornado crossed Patricia street and moved into an inaccessible forested area. The track was extended into the Florida Walk Canal based on high resolution satellite data indicating tree damage along the path through the forest. It may have continued into the marsh, but no damage was observable. The maximum rating of 125 mph EF-2 is based on the homes that lost all or most of their roof structure as well as…

8. Mar 22, 2022Tornado$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado moved into St. Bernard Parish from Orleans Parish near Friscoville Avenue at the Mississippi River. The most intense damage was from the riverbank to the canal in Arabi. It was a very narrow, intense tornado with two areas of concentrated EF3 damage. One was a house that was swept off its raised foundation with all walls and the roof destroyed. This was near where the one fatality occurred. Due to poor construction, this was EF3. The highest EF3 rating was given to a house that was constructed in the last 6 months. While this house was raised on cinder blocks, every tower of blocks had strapping to the house. The house had additional strapping directly into the…

9. Oct 28, 2020Hurricane (Typhoon), Upper St. Bernard$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Zeta produced widespread wind damage throughout the parish with trees, power lines and power poles snapping in the wind. Several trees fell on homes and cars. A Weatherflow station near the border of St. Bernard and Orleans parishes on Bayou Bienvenue recorded a maximum sustained wind of 87 mph with peak gust of 112 mph. It should be noted that at 27.4m, the station is elevated higher than the standard observation height of 10m. At the peak, over 90 percent of the parish was without power. Several homes suffered significant roof damage with some losing portions of the roofing structure. Numerous trucks, trailers and boats were flipped along LA HWY 46 where they were parked to…

10. Oct 28, 2020Hurricane (Typhoon), Lower St. Bernard$25.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Zeta produced widespread wind damage throughout the parish with trees, power lines and power poles snapping in the wind. Several trees fell on homes and cars. A Weatherflow station near the border of St. Bernard and Orleans parishes on Bayou Bienvenue recorded a maximum sustained wind of 87 mph with peak gust of 112 mph. It should be noted that at 27.4m, the station is elevated higher than the standard observation height of 10m. At the peak, over 90 percent of the parish was without power. Several homes suffered significant roof damage with some losing portions of the roofing structure. Numerous trucks, trailers and boats were flipped along LA HWY 46 where they were parked to…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

104°F2 times, most recently Aug 28, 2023

All-time low

6°FFeb 13, 1899

Warmest night

85°F3 times, most recently Aug 8, 1980

Coldest day

25°FJan 11, 1962

Wettest day

13.08 inOct 2, 1937

Snowiest day

10.0 inFeb 14, 1895

Hottest year

2023mean 73.2°F

Coldest year

1895mean 67.0°F

Wettest year

1991111.81 in

Driest year

191733.07 in

Station New Orleans Audubon (USW00012930), 20 ft elevation, 11.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to June 30, 2026; 90.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00012930.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Tide gauges NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.