Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, December 3, 1973

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, December 3, 1973
Start: 1973-12-03T21:15
End: 1973-12-03T23:55
Location: Louisiana

December 3, 1973 · 12 events in 9 counties and zones

9 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 28
Property damage: $7.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Beauregard

When: December 3, 9:15 PM CST
Where: Beauregard County
Rating: F2
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 30.830, -93.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Claiborne

When: December 3, 9:15 PM CST
Where: Claiborne County
Coordinates: 32.600, -93.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Beauregard

When: December 3, 9:25 PM CST
Where: Beauregard County
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph)
Coordinates: 30.830, -93.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Rapides

When: December 3, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Rapides County
Coordinates: 31.100, -92.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Calcasieu

When: December 3, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Calcasieu County
Coordinates: 30.130, -93.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Rapides

When: December 3, 10:47 PM CST
Where: Rapides County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 31.400, -92.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Ouachita

When: December 3, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Ouachita County
Coordinates: 32.520, -92.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Rapides

When: December 3, 10:55 PM CST
Where: Rapides County
Coordinates: 31.150, -92.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Evangeline

When: December 3, 11:10 PM CST
Where: Evangeline County
Coordinates: 30.720, -92.370

Tornado, Richland

When: December 3, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Richland County
Rating: F2
Path length: 9.7 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Injuries: 23 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 32.480, -91.750

Tornado, Morehouse

When: December 3, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Morehouse County
Rating: F2
Path length: 26.4 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 32.620, -91.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Concordia

When: December 3, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Concordia County
Coordinates: 31.700, -91.600

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Louisiana in 1973 Every state in 1973 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Louisiana, 1973

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10030714, 10030715, 10030716, 10030717, 10030718, 10031849, 10030371, 10030372, 10030373, 10030374, 10030375, 10030376.