Natural hazards · Hammond

Hammond, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hammond comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 414 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hammond?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hammond to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes54%Inland flooding33%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Hammond faces

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

Hurricanes

54% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Hammond flood?

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

414paid claims since 1979

$16.8Mpaid to owners

59homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ida: 205 claims, $13.0M
Late winter severe storms: 41 claims, $1.3M
Mid-summer severe storms: 19 claims, $403K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Hammond isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Tangipahoa Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

27homes raised above flood level

14buildings retrofitted against wind

9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Hammond

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HammondDeclared for Tangipahoa Parish only

2024

Hurricane Francine

$171K to the City of Hammond for repairs

2021

Hurricane Ida

18,562 households applied for aid $33.3M aid approved $2.5M to the City of Hammond for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

5,096 households applied for aid $11.7M aid approved $134K to the City of Hammond for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

3,578 households applied for aid $3.6M aid approved $157K to the City of Hammond for repairs

2008

Hurricane Ike

966 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

4,512 households applied for aid $3.4M aid approved $509K to the City of Hammond for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

10 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

15,518 households applied for aid $16.8M aid approved $1.5M to the City of Hammond for repairs

2002

Hurricane Lili

$22K to the City of Hammond for repairs

Tangipahoa Parish has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.

Around Hammond

Hammond and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Natalbanymostly hurricanesVery high

Hammondmostly hurricanesVery high

Ponchatoulamostly 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. Hammond covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hammond’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hammond. 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 Hammond total about $15.6M 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.