Photo: Billy Hathorn · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in St. Joseph
St. Joseph isn’t graded for hazard risk: St. Joseph has 603 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1983.
What St. Joseph faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Tornadoes
River and rain flooding
Hail
Hurricanes
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 St. Joseph flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Joseph, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Gustav1 claim · $25K
- Hurricane Katrina1 claim · $3K
St. Joseph isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tensas Parish.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Joseph
Disasters that paid out in St. Joseph itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of St. Joseph), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2008Hurricane Gustav103 households applied for aid$93K aid approved$74K to the Town of St. Joseph for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $25K
- 2005Hurricane Rita$11K to the Town of St. Joseph for repairs
- 2005Hurricane Katrina$12K to the Town of St. Joseph for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $3K
Tensas Parish has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms.
Old photos of St. Joseph after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Joseph archive →Get ready for what St. Joseph faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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.
- 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 St. Joseph
Does St. Joseph flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in St. Joseph since 1983, $49K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Gustav (1).
Is St. Joseph 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 Tensas Parish, 8.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in St. Joseph?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Joseph’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 St. Joseph?
By FEMA money that reached St. Joseph, Hurricane Gustav (2008): 103 households applied for aid, $93K approved, and $74K to the Town of St. Joseph for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Gustav: 1 paid, $25K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Joseph.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Joseph’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.