Photo: S.C. Air National Guard · Public domainMore hazard damage per building is expected in New Orleans Station than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Orleans Station gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (78%), then river and rain flooding (19%). Flood insurance has paid 71 claims here since 1980.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about New Orleans Station’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What New Orleans Station 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.
What’s behind New Orleans Station’s grade
Hurricanes are 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in New Orleans Station, and New Orleans Station’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 19% (higher than 56% of U.S. census tracts).
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of New Orleans Station’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.0M a year in losses across New Orleans Station: $1.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does New Orleans Station flood? Sometimes: 71 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in New Orleans Station, from FEMA’s records: 70.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Katrina49 claims · $2.3M
- Hurricane Isaac4 claims · $40K
- Hurricane Ida2 claims · $39K
New Orleans Station isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Plaquemines Parish.The storms New Orleans Station remembers
None of the 33 disasters declared for Plaquemines Parish shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching New Orleans Station itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200549 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Rita, declared for Plaquemines Parish
- 19895 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20124 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Isaac, declared for Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish has had 33 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms.
Old photos of New Orleans Station after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the New Orleans Station archive →New Orleans Station and its neighbors
New Orleans Station is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Chasse | D−more damage than 97% | hurricanes | 20 |
| New Orleans Station | D−more damage than 98% | hurricanes | 71 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what New Orleans Station 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 New Orleans Station
Is New Orleans Station at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Orleans Station has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (78%) and river and rain flooding (19%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does New Orleans Station flood?
Flood insurance has paid 71 claims in New Orleans Station since 1980, $2.4M in all, or 70.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Katrina (49).
Is New Orleans Station 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 Plaquemines Parish, 53% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 51.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in New Orleans Station?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for New Orleans Station’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 New Orleans Station?
By flood claims, Hurricane Katrina: 49 paid, $2.3M.
Is New Orleans Station at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and New Orleans Station’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Orleans Station.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where New Orleans Station’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.