Metro New Orleans: the hurricane record and the FORTIFIED roofs going up

Katrina, 2005

Katrina's first Louisiana landfall came near Buras at 1110 UTC on August 29, 2005 at 110 kt, and its center passed about 20 n mi east of downtown New Orleans. NHC concludes that most of the city probably felt sustained winds of category 1 or 2 strength, though the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans measured a 107 kt gust.

The water did the worst. NHC's report describes storm surge of 15 to 19 ft in eastern New Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and 10 to 14 ft along the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain in western New Orleans. About 80 percent of the city flooded, to depths of up to roughly 20 ft. The same report notes that wind blew out windows in downtown high-rises and partially peeled away the roof of the Louisiana Superdome, and that the Interstate 10 Twin Span Bridge between New Orleans and Slidell was destroyed.

Isaac, Zeta and Ida

Isaac in 2012 pushed a 6.35 ft storm surge to the New Canal Station on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

Zeta in 2020 was a roof storm. Its eye moved directly over New Orleans a couple of hours after landfall, and NHC reports damage across the parishes south of Lake Pontchartrain, including Orleans and Jefferson. Hundreds of homes in those parishes suffered significant wind damage, with numerous reports of lost or severely damaged roofs, and about 100 were destroyed.

Ida in 2021 came ashore at Port Fourchon at 130 kt, and its eye crossed southeastern Louisiana between Houma and New Orleans. NHC analyzed 5 to 8 ft of inundation in Orleans and East Bank Jefferson parishes outside the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, and 4 to 7 ft in St. Tammany Parish. A gauge at Lakefront Airport recorded 8.5 ft above mean higher high water before it failed, and survey teams found high water marks of 5.9 ft above ground in Kenner. Ida's winds also caused widespread power failures across the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Tornadoes, hail and flash floods

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 7 tornadoes and 168 flash floods in Orleans Parish from 2016 through 2025, plus 26 tornadoes and 20 hail events of 1 inch or larger in St. Tammany Parish. The February 2017 EF3 tornado in New Orleans East caused significant roof damage to an apartment complex, and a December 2022 tornado in Algiers left three homes with significant roof structure loss or partial wall collapse and destroyed another.

FEMA declarations

Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany were all included in FEMA's major disaster declarations for Isaac (DR-4080), Zeta (DR-4577), Ida (DR-4611) and Francine (DR-4817). The directory's Louisiana storm center tracks this season.

The metro leads the state in FORTIFIED roofs

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor's March 2025 report, using IBHS data as of February 1, 2025, ranks Orleans first among parishes with 1,474 FORTIFIED certificates, 621 of them funded by the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. St. Tammany was second with 1,189 (437 grant-funded) and Jefferson third with 1,140 (538 grant-funded).

For a homeowner here, that means the grant and insurance-discount routes explained on our home page are already well used. The LFHP pays up to $10,000 toward the actual cost of a FORTIFIED Roof, and state law requires insurers to discount the premium for a certified FORTIFIED home.

Permits and licenses for a metro re-roof

Act 239 of 2025 requires permits and inspections for reroofing on residential and commercial projects that began on or after August 1, 2025, whether the house is in Kenner or Mandeville. Since January 1, 2026, residential roof work must be done by a licensee with the Residential Construction or Residential Roofing classification. Check the classification on the LSLBC site before you sign.

Roofers are listed on the National Roofing Directory in New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell and Mandeville. Listings for those cities:

Frequently asked questions

How many FORTIFIED roofs does New Orleans have?

As of February 1, 2025, IBHS data compiled by the Legislative Auditor showed 1,474 FORTIFIED certificates in Orleans Parish, the most of any Louisiana parish, with 621 funded by state grants.

Were Katrina's winds in New Orleans really category 3?

Not across most of the city. NHC says the category 3 winds were likely over water east of the eye, and that most of New Orleans probably experienced category 1 or 2 sustained winds. The city's flooding came from surge that overtopped and breached levees and floodwalls.

Which FEMA declaration covered the metro after Ida?

Major disaster declaration DR-4611 included Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, following emergency declaration EM-3568.

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house in Metairie?

Yes, for projects that began on or after August 1, 2025. Act 239 requires permitting and inspection of reroofing on residential structures statewide. The National Roofing Directory's Louisiana licensing page summarizes the contractor rules.