Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, December 4, 1973

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, December 4, 1973
Start: 1973-12-04T00:10
End: 1973-12-04T02:48
Location: Louisiana

December 4, 1973 · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 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: 3
Property damage: $5.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When: December 4, 12:10 AM CST
Where: Richland County
Coordinates: 32.630, -91.630

Tornado, East Baton Rouge

When: December 4, 1:10 AM CST
Where: East Baton Rouge County
Rating: F2
Path length: 39.1 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 30.470, -91.170

Tornado, Tangipahoa

When: December 4, 1:40 AM CST
Where: Tangipahoa County
Rating: F2
Path length: 3.6 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 30.700, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Ascension

When: December 4, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Ascension County
Coordinates: 30.200, -91.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: December 4, 2:48 AM CST
Where: Washington County
Coordinates: 30.850, -90.150

What these are

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.
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.

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: 10030377, 10030378, 10030379, 10030380, 10030381.