Natural hazards · Harahan

Harahan, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harahan comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,469 claims here since 1978. 15 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Harahan?

94
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harahan to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes80%Inland flooding10%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Harahan faces

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

Hurricanes

80% 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

10% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Harahan flood?

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

1,469paid claims since 1978
$28.4Mpaid to owners
132homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Katrina: 185 claims, $6.9M
  • Tropical Storm Isidore: 25 claims, $132K
  • Tropical Storm Allison: 14 claims, $100K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (53) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Harahan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jefferson Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

35homes raised above flood level
8buildings retrofitted against wind
1buildings floodproofed
Disasters that hit Harahan

15 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarahanDeclared for Jefferson Parish only
2024

Hurricane Francine

34 households applied for aid $17K aid approved
2021

Hurricane Ida

2,433 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved $8.1M to the City of Harahan for repairs
2020

Hurricane Zeta

16 households applied for aid $9K aid approved $124K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2019

Hurricane Barry

$4K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2017

Tropical Storm Nate

$4K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2012

Hurricane Isaac

537 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $343K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2008

Hurricane Ike

14 households applied for aid $932 aid approved
2008

Hurricane Gustav

785 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $345K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2005

Hurricane Rita

57 households applied for aid $32K aid approved
2005

Hurricane Katrina

2,348 households applied for aid $6.6M aid approved $5.6M to the City of Harahan for repairs
2005

Tropical Storm Cindy

$54K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

3 households applied for aid $357 aid approved $20K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2002

Hurricane Lili

$32K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2002

Tropical Storm Isidore

$9K to the City of Harahan for repairs
2001

Tropical Storm Allison

$1K to the City of Harahan for repairs
Jefferson Parish has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and floods.
Around Harahan

Harahan and the towns around it

Elmwood: Very high, mostly hurricanesRiver Ridge: Very high, mostly hurricanesWaggaman: Very high, mostly hurricanesAvondale: Very high, mostly hurricanesJefferson: Very high, mostly hurricanesBridge City: Very high, mostly hurricanesMetairie: Very high, mostly hurricanesKenner: Very high, mostly hurricanesHarahan: Very high, mostly hurricanes HarahanElmwoodRiver RidgeWaggamanAvondale
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
River Ridgemostly hurricanesVery high
Avondalemostly hurricanesVery high
Harahanmostly hurricanesVery high
Waggamanmostly hurricanesVery high
Elmwoodmostly 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. Harahan covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Harahan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Harahan. 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 Harahan total about $6.6M 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.

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