A historically damaging ice storm occurred across northeast Louisiana and the surrounding region. The corridor of heaviest ice accretion, with ice thickness measured at up to one inch, spanned from Richland Parish, including the area from Rayville to Delhi, northeastward through West and East Carroll parishes and the Lake Providence area.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.
A historically damaging ice storm occurred across northeast Louisiana and the surrounding region. The corridor of heaviest ice accretion, with ice thickness measured at up to one inch, spanned from Richland Parish, including the area from Rayville to Delhi, northeastward through West and East Carroll parishes and the Lake Providence area. Tree damage in this region was tremendous, and several homes were damaged or destroyed by falling trees. Travel impacts persisted through Friday, January 30th in some areas. More than 143,000 customers in Louisiana lost power during the peak of the storm with thousands of power poles broken. Full power restoration took more than two weeks in the hardest hit areas, and it took more than one week for some customers in East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, and West Carroll parishes. Some meters remained unpowered for three weeks in the hardest hit portions of our area. The loss of electricity and the very cold temperatures that followed resulted in the loss of water in several communities.
Significant sleet accumulations, as high as 2 in Morehouse Parish occurred over parts of the area as well. In these areas, the weight of the accumulation resulted in the collapse of several sheds, carports, gas station awnings and the roofs of some buildings. Sleet remained on the ground across much of Morehouse Parish for an entire week.
Bitter cold conditions followed the storm, with temperatures as low as 10 to 15 degrees. Note: At several area weather stations, the lowest wind chill was unavailable because the anemometer was frozen and unable to record wind speed data.
One death due to hypothermia occurred in Franklin Parish.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 extreme cold/wind chill, 7 ice storm, 1 sleet, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Sleet accumulations of up to 2 inches with light or trace accumulations of freezing rain occurred in Bastrop and the surrounding areas.
Freezing rain accumulations between 0.25 and 0.5 inch were observed across the Parish with the highest amounts across the northern portions. Roads were ice covered and trees and power lines were down.
Freezing rain was observed across the parish with trace amounts of sleet mixing in concurrent with thunder. Trees and powerlines were brought down across the parish, and roads were hazardous with multiple vehicles having slid off the road. Freezing rain accumulation was estimated at 0.5 inch.
Freezing rain was observed across the parish with trace amounts of sleet mixing in concurrent with thunder. Trees and powerlines were brought down across the parish and roads were hazardous. Freezing rain accumulations were estimated at up to 0.75 inches.
Freezing rain was observed across the parish with trace amounts of sleet mixing in concurrent with thunder. Trees and powerlines were brought down across the parish, and roads were hazardous. The highest freezing rain accumulations were estimated at 0.75 inches mainly across the northern portions with amounts at or below 0.5 inch in southern parts.
Freezing rain accumulations of 0.75 to 1.0 inches were observed across the parish. There was extensive and widespread damage to trees and power lines. Power outages were common and numerous roads were blocked due to downed trees and powerlines.
Up to 1 inch of freezing rain accumulated at Poverty Point World Heritage Site. Several trees were downed or damaged. Sleet had accumulated to around 1.5 inches before transitioning to freezing rain.
Ice accumulation was observed in trees and on powerlines. Highest accumulations of 0.25 inches were observed the Northern parts of the parish. Bridges had a layer of ice. Central and southern portions had less accumulation.
Trees and power lines were brought down in a few locations causing power outages. No road or bridge impacts were observed across the parish. Maximum freezing rain accumulations were estimated at 0.25 inches.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th. A 78 year old female died of hypothermia due to exposure.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
Wind chills across the parish fell as low as -5 degrees during the early morning of January 26th.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Franklin | 2026-01-26 | 78 | Female | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, January 2026
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1309301, 1309302, 1309305, 1312623, 1312627, 1309304, 1315299, 1309303, 1309306, 1315544, 1315545, 1315548, 1315549, 1315311, 1315551, 1315550, 1315546, 1315547.