Flood Risk Information

St. Bernard Parish's proximity to bayous, marshes, canals, and the Gulf of Mexico makes every property in the Parish vulnerable to flooding. The Parish Government has adopted numerous flood mitigation strategies, including but not limited to: designing an official floodplain management ordinance and hazard mitigation plan, maintaining floodplain managers on staff, and requiring all new construction to meet standards set by the FEMA flood zone. 

St. Bernard Parish is protected by the Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS), which was built after Hurricane Katrina at the cost of $14.5 billion. The System significantly reduces the risk of flooding for over 1 million residents in the Greater New Orleans area from a 100-year storm.

The Parish is dedicated to concerted action that mitigates risk, thereby protecting and preserving St. Bernard Parish as a place that residents call home.

Flood Risk Information Links

Local Flood Information Documents

Determining Your Flood Zone

FEMA assigns flood zone ratings to all properties that are located in federally designated flood zones. Determining your flood zone is an essential first step for protecting your property. The flood zone ratings for individual properties can be found at either of the following locations:
  • The St. Bernard Parish Parcel Viewer Map allows viewers to search their property by searching for its address, owner name or parcel ID and then turning on the "Flood Zone" layer in the "Map Data Layers" toolbar.
  • The LSU AgCenter Flood Map allows viewers to locate their property by searching for its address or selecting their home parish and clicking on their property's location on the parish flood zone map.

The National Flood Insurance Program

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is managed by FEMA, who extends insurance to the public through a network of more than 50 insurance companies. The NFIP provides flood insurance to property owners, renters and businesses. Maintaining this coverage helps insurance holders recover faster once floodwaters recede. The NFIP works with communities who are required to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations that help mitigate flooding effects.

Just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage. Most homeowner's insurance plans do not cover flood damage. Flood insurance is a separate policy that can cover buildings, the contents within a building, or both, so it is important to protect your most important financial assets - your home, your business, and your possessions.


Information Available

The Parish provides the Flood Insurance Rate Map Information below as a public service. To access this information, please contact our local building official, Merritt Landry, by emailing mlandry@sbpg.net with questions on the following topics:
  • Whether a property is located inside or outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), as shown on the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
  • Additional flood insurance data for a site, such as the FIRM zone, base flood elevation or depth, and whether the property lies in a floodway as shown on the FIRM
  • If the property has a Federal mandatory purchase requirement
  • If there are any known drainage problems or locally regulated flood zones
  • If the property has historically experienced flooding
  • If there are any natural conservation areas and/or wetlands on the property