Risk Index · Orleans County · 2026-06-13
New Orleans, LA real-estate risk
- Risk score
- 98.3/100
- Relatively High
- Expected annual loss
- $304M
- all hazards, county-wide
- Buildings-only loss
- $260M
- what owners and insurers carry
- Population
- 384K
- Orleans County
New Orleans, LA (Orleans County) carries a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.3/100, rated "Relatively High" and driven mainly by hurricane and heat wave, with roughly $304M in expected natural-hazard losses per year (FEMA NRI, 2025).
Exhibit 1 · Hazard scores, national percentile
95th percentile- Hurricane99.7
- Heat wave97.2
- Riverine flood93.5
- Hail92.8
- Coastal flood81.2
- Earthquake80.4
- Tornado71.6
- Drought56.9
- Wildfire48.1
- Strong wind46.8
Each score is the county's percentile against every US county for that hazard (0-100).
What it means for insurance
Coastal flood and hurricane exposure make property insurance the swing cost in this market. Premiums and deductibles here can move a deal's NOI by double digits. Treat the insurance binder as a Day-1 diligence item.
New Orleans risk questions
Is New Orleans, LA a high-risk area for real estate?
New Orleans scores 98.3/100 on FEMA's National Risk Index, rated "Relatively High" versus all US counties. Its expected natural-hazard loss is about $304M per year.
What is the biggest natural hazard in New Orleans?
The highest-rated hazard is hurricane (99.7/100), followed by heat wave (97.2/100).
How does hazard risk affect property insurance in New Orleans?
Coastal flood and hurricane exposure make property insurance the swing cost in this market. Premiums and deductibles here can move a deal's NOI by double digits. Treat the insurance binder as a Day-1 diligence item.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (Counties), v1.20 (2026-06-13). Scores are national percentiles (0-100). Insurance commentary is PropHunt's interpretation of the hazard data, not an insurance quote.