Storms, floods and disasters in Folsom
Folsom isn’t graded for hazard risk: Folsom has 709 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1983.
What Folsom faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Folsom flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Folsom, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $5K
- Tropical Storm Isidore1 claim · $11K
- Hurricane Isaac1 claim · $10K
Folsom isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Tammany Parish.9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Folsom
Disasters that paid out in Folsom itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Folsom), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2026Tropical Storm Arthur18 households applied for aid$45K aid approved
- 2021Hurricane Ida2,142 households applied for aid$2.1M aid approved$194K to the Village of Folsom for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $5K
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding146 households applied for aid$338K aid approved
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding258 households applied for aid$936K aid approved$2K to the Village of Folsom for repairs
- 2012Hurricane Isaac313 households applied for aid$173K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $10K
- 2008Hurricane Ike18 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
Show all 9
- 2008Hurricane Gustav417 households applied for aid$169K aid approved
- 2005Hurricane Rita82 households applied for aid$38K aid approved
- 2005Hurricane Katrina3,377 households applied for aid$8.6M aid approved$20K to the Village of Folsom for repairs
St. Tammany Parish has had 39 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then floods.
Old photos of Folsom after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Folsom archive →Get ready for what Folsom faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Folsom
Does Folsom flood?
Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Folsom since 1983, $321K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (1).
Is Folsom in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In St. Tammany Parish, 40.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Folsom?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Folsom’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Folsom?
By FEMA money that reached Folsom, Hurricane Katrina (2005): 3,377 households applied for aid, $8.6M approved, and $20K to the Village of Folsom for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 1 paid, $5K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Folsom.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Folsom’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.