Natural hazards · Gretna

Gretna, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gretna comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3,092 claims here since 1978. 16 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Gretna?

95
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gretna to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes77%Inland flooding12%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Gretna faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

77% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

12% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

WildfireAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Gretna flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gretna, from FEMA’s records.

3,092paid claims since 1978
$40.5Mpaid to owners
319homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Katrina: 430 claims, $20.5M
  • Tropical Storm Allison: 34 claims, $126K
  • Hurricane Isaac: 26 claims, $459K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 6 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (118) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Gretna is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Jefferson Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

222homes raised above flood level
2buildings retrofitted against wind
1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Gretna

16 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Gretna itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Gretna.

Brought FEMA money into GretnaDeclared for Jefferson Parish only
2024

Hurricane Francine

420 households applied for aid $551K aid approved
2021

Hurricane Ida

18,244 households applied for aid $24.0M aid approved $4.1M to the City of Gretna for repairs
2020

Hurricane Zeta

715 households applied for aid $431K aid approved $205K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2020

Hurricane Delta

2 households applied for aid
2012

Hurricane Isaac

7,235 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $477K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Lee

$18K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2008

Hurricane Ike

248 households applied for aid $45K aid approved
2008

Hurricane Gustav

8,022 households applied for aid $658K aid approved $865K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

12 households applied for aid $978 aid approved
2005

Hurricane Rita

3,146 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved
2005

Hurricane Katrina

29,773 households applied for aid $132M aid approved $6.6M to the City of Gretna for repairs
2005

Tropical Storm Cindy

$17K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

157 households applied for aid $64K aid approved $77K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2002

Hurricane Lili

$20K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2002

Tropical Storm Isidore

$39K to the City of Gretna for repairs
2001

Tropical Storm Allison

$3K to the City of Gretna for repairs
Jefferson Parish has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Around Gretna

Gretna and the towns around it

Harvey: Very high, mostly hurricanesNew Orleans: Very high, mostly hurricanesTerrytown: Very high, mostly hurricanesTimberlane: Very high, mostly hurricanesMarrero: Very high, mostly hurricanesWoodmere: Very high, mostly hurricanesMeraux: Very high, mostly hurricanesMetairie: Very high, mostly hurricanesChalmette: Very high, mostly hurricanesArabi: Very high, mostly hurricanesJefferson: Very high, mostly hurricanesViolet: Very high, mostly hurricanesPoydras: Very high, mostly hurricanesWestwego: Very high, mostly hurricanesBelle Chasse: Very high, mostly hurricanesGretna: Very high, mostly hurricanes GretnaHarveyNew OrleansTerrytownTimberlane
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Timberlanemostly hurricanesVery high
Gretnamostly hurricanesVery high
Harveymostly hurricanesVery high
New Orleansmostly hurricanesVery high
Terrytownmostly hurricanesVery high
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Gretna covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gretna’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gretna. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Gretna total about $12.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01