Lightning Risk in Louisiana
All Louisiana counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 64 of 64 Louisiana counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Calcasieu Parish carries the state's highest lightning score at 99.2, with $4M in expected annual lightning losses.
27 Louisiana counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $49M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calcasieu Parish | Very High | 80.82 / yr | $4M | |
| 2 | Orleans Parish | Very High | 86.36 / yr | $3M | |
| 3 | Lafayette Parish | Very High | 83.96 / yr | $4M | |
| 4 | Jefferson Parish | Very High | 87.87 / yr | $3M | |
| 5 | East Baton Rouge Parish | Very High | 86.62 / yr | $3M | |
| 6 | Caddo Parish | Very High | 64.19 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | St. Landry Parish | High | 80.53 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Rapides Parish | High | 75.04 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Iberia Parish | High | 87.83 / yr | $2M | |
| 10 | St. Tammany Parish | High | 84.65 / yr | $2M | |
| 11 | Cameron Parish | High | 81.05 / yr | $2M | |
| 12 | Tangipahoa Parish | High | 84.06 / yr | $1M | |
| 13 | Bossier Parish | High | 64.44 / yr | $1M | |
| 14 | Terrebonne Parish | High | 87.67 / yr | $1M | |
| 15 | Acadia Parish | High | 82.26 / yr | $883K | |
| 16 | Vermilion Parish | High | 85.59 / yr | $1M | |
| 17 | Beauregard Parish | High | 77.65 / yr | $1M | |
| 18 | Ascension Parish | High | 87.28 / yr | $1M | |
| 19 | Jefferson Davis Parish | High | 80.41 / yr | $934K | |
| 20 | Livingston Parish | High | 85.93 / yr | $1M | |
| 21 | St. Martin Parish | High | 86.97 / yr | $753K | |
| 22 | Ouachita Parish | High | 67.86 / yr | $774K | |
| 23 | Evangeline Parish | High | 78.38 / yr | $657K | |
| 24 | Lafourche Parish | High | 88.62 / yr | $780K | |
| 25 | Claiborne Parish | High | 65.31 / yr | $498K | |
| 26 | Avoyelles Parish | High | 76.45 / yr | $518K | |
| 27 | Vernon Parish | High | 74.26 / yr | $623K | |
| 28 | Allen Parish | Medium | 77.62 / yr | $610K | |
| 29 | Sabine Parish | Medium | 69.61 / yr | $405K | |
| 30 | St. Bernard Parish | Medium | 82.61 / yr | $550K | |
| 31 | Washington Parish | Medium | 81.38 / yr | $327K | |
| 32 | St. John the Baptist Parish | Medium | 87.57 / yr | $519K | |
| 33 | St. Charles Parish | Medium | 91.19 / yr | $455K | |
| 34 | St. Mary Parish | Medium | 88.17 / yr | $343K | |
| 35 | Natchitoches Parish | Medium | 70.46 / yr | $291K | |
| 36 | Webster Parish | Medium | 65.36 / yr | $232K | |
| 37 | Lincoln Parish | Medium | 66.47 / yr | $232K | |
| 38 | Iberville Parish | Medium | 88.39 / yr | $250K | |
| 39 | De Soto Parish | Low | 66.30 / yr | $188K | |
| 40 | Assumption Parish | Low | 89.34 / yr | $172K | |
| 41 | Plaquemines Parish | Low | 81.19 / yr | $216K | |
| 42 | Morehouse Parish | Low | 66.04 / yr | $144K | |
| 43 | Bienville Parish | Low | 66.74 / yr | $136K | |
| 44 | East Feliciana Parish | Low | 82.88 / yr | $149K | |
| 45 | St. James Parish | Low | 88.40 / yr | $168K | |
| 46 | Franklin Parish | Low | 69.33 / yr | $138K | |
| 47 | Pointe Coupee Parish | Low | 82.37 / yr | $135K | |
| 48 | Jackson Parish | Low | 68.06 / yr | $127K | |
| 49 | Grant Parish | Low | 72.98 / yr | $152K | |
| 50 | West Baton Rouge Parish | Low | 87.04 / yr | $213K | |
| 51 | Union Parish | Low | 65.65 / yr | $102K | |
| 52 | Concordia Parish | Low | 74.29 / yr | $101K | |
| 53 | Winn Parish | Low | 69.91 / yr | $92K | |
| 54 | Catahoula Parish | Low | 72.27 / yr | $86K | |
| 55 | LaSalle Parish | Low | 72.38 / yr | $116K | |
| 56 | West Feliciana Parish | Low | 81.34 / yr | $102K | |
| 57 | St. Helena Parish | Low | 83.37 / yr | $69K | |
| 58 | Madison Parish | Low | 67.75 / yr | $61K | |
| 59 | Red River Parish | Low | 67.52 / yr | $62K | |
| 60 | East Carroll Parish | Low | 65.14 / yr | $59K | |
| 61 | Richland Parish | Low | 67.83 / yr | $58K | |
| 62 | West Carroll Parish | Very Low | 65.64 / yr | $54K | |
| 63 | Caldwell Parish | Very Low | 69.13 / yr | $60K | |
| 64 | Tensas Parish | Very Low | 70.30 / yr | $33K |
64 Louisiana counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Louisiana counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Louisiana county has the highest lightning risk?
Calcasieu Parish has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Louisiana at 99.2 (Very High), with $4M in expected annual losses and about 80.82 events per year.
How many Louisiana counties face significant lightning risk?
64 Louisiana counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 27 of them are rated High or Very High.