Natural hazards · Meraux

Meraux, LA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Meraux comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2,823 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Meraux?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Hurricanes77%Inland flooding11%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Meraux 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

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about once 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 Meraux flood?

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

2,823paid claims since 1978

$401Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 2,550 claims, $398M
Hurricane Isaac: 21 claims, $191K
Tropical Storm Isidore: 19 claims, $90K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Bernard Parish.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5homes raised above flood level

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Meraux

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MerauxDeclared for St. Bernard Parish only

2021

Hurricane Ida

1,838 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved

2020

Hurricane Zeta

144 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

823 households applied for aid $290K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

703 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Rita

5 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

4,743 households applied for aid $37.3M aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

42 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

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

Around Meraux

Meraux and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

New Orleansmostly hurricanesVery high

Merauxmostly hurricanesVery high

Chalmettemostly hurricanesVery high

Violetmostly 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. Meraux covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Meraux’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Meraux. 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 Meraux total about $5.5M 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.