Tornadoes · United States

Tornadoes in Louisiana

2,482 tornadoes since 1950, an average of 32.7 a year, 11th of the 53 states and territories in the record. They have killed 232 people and injured 3,463. 11 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 of them F5 or EF5.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The deadliest in Louisiana

  1. F5, Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington and Humphreys parishes, Louisiana and MississippiFebruary 21, 197147 killed, 510 injured
  2. F4, Lafourche Parish, LouisianaOctober 3, 196422 killed, 165 injured
  3. F4, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier and Webster parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 195018 killed, 77 injured
  4. EF4, Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo parishes, Louisiana and MississippiApril 24, 201010 killed, 146 injured
  5. F4, Vernon, Rapides, Grant and LaSalle parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 19539 killed, 50 injured
  6. F4, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaApril 3, 19997 killed, 102 injured
  7. EF4, Pike, Tangipahoa, Walthall, Marion and Jefferson Davis parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 15, 20256 killed, 6 injured
  8. F3, Jackson Parish, LouisianaSeptember 12, 19615 killed, 37 injured
  9. F3, Sabine, Natchitoches, Red River and Bienville parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 19505 killed, 25 injured
  10. F2, De Soto, Red River, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 19505 killed, 10 injured
  11. F3, Acadia and Saint Landry parishes, LouisianaNovember 7, 19574 killed, 10 injured
  12. F2, Saint Landry and Saint Martin parishes, LouisianaApril 4, 19524 killed, 33 injured

The strongest

  1. F5, Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington and Humphreys parishes, Louisiana and MississippiFebruary 21, 1971F5, 109.2 mi (176 km)
  2. EF4, Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo parishes, Louisiana and MississippiApril 24, 2010EF4, 149.0 mi (240 km)
  3. F4, Vernon, Rapides, Grant and LaSalle parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 1953F4, 85.5 mi (138 km)
  4. F4, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier and Webster parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 1950F4, 82.6 mi (133 km)
  5. EF4, Pike, Tangipahoa, Walthall, Marion and Jefferson Davis parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 15, 2025EF4, 67.2 mi (108 km)
  6. F4, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaApril 3, 1999F4, 19.3 mi (31 km)
  7. EF4, Winn Parish, LouisianaNovember 29, 2010EF4, 14.0 mi (22 km)
  8. F4, Ouachita and Morehouse parishes, LouisianaApril 1, 1983F4, 9.0 mi (14 km)
  9. F4, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LouisianaDecember 6, 1983F4, 7.0 mi (11 km)
  10. F4, Bossier Parish, LouisianaDecember 3, 1978F4, 6.2 mi (10 km)
  11. F4, Lafourche Parish, LouisianaOctober 3, 1964F4, 1.5 mi (2 km)
  12. F3, Sabine, Natchitoches, Red River and Bienville parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 1950F3, 74.5 mi (120 km)

The longest paths

  1. F2, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Issaquena and Washington parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 22, 1953234.7 mi (378 km)
  2. EF4, Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo parishes, Louisiana and MississippiApril 24, 2010149.0 mi (240 km)
  3. F5, Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington and Humphreys parishes, Louisiana and MississippiFebruary 21, 1971109.2 mi (176 km)
  4. F4, Vernon, Rapides, Grant and LaSalle parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 195385.5 mi (138 km)
  5. F4, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier and Webster parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 195082.6 mi (133 km)
  6. F3, Sabine, Natchitoches, Red River and Bienville parishes, LouisianaFebruary 12, 195074.5 mi (120 km)
  7. EF4, Pike, Tangipahoa, Walthall, Marion and Jefferson Davis parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 15, 202567.2 mi (108 km)
  8. EF3, Beauregard, Vernon and Rapides parishes, LouisianaDecember 16, 201962.6 mi (101 km)
  9. F3, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne and Union parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 197861.1 mi (98 km)
  10. F3, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier and Bienville parishes, LouisianaMay 2, 198461.0 mi (98 km)
  11. F3, Webster, Claiborne, Union and Union parishes, Louisiana and ArkansasDecember 3, 197860.0 mi (97 km)
  12. F2, West Carroll, East Carroll, Issaquena, Sharkey and Humphreys parishes, Louisiana and MississippiApril 24, 195858.7 mi (94 km)

The costliest

  1. EF4, Madison, Warren, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo parishes, Louisiana and MississippiApril 24, 2010$386 million
  2. EF3, Ouachita Parish, LouisianaApril 12, 2020$250 million
  3. EF2, Jefferson, Saint Bernard and Orleans parishes, LouisianaDecember 14, 2022$150 million
  4. EF1, Caddo Parish, LouisianaMarch 2, 2023$50 million
  5. EF3, Lincoln Parish, LouisianaApril 25, 2019$50 million
  6. EF3, Saint Bernard, Jefferson and Orleans parishes, LouisianaMarch 22, 2022$33 million
  7. EF3, Beauregard, Vernon and Rapides parishes, LouisianaDecember 16, 2019$25 million
  8. EF2, Acadia Parish, LouisianaMarch 5, 2011$15 million
  9. F1, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaApril 23, 2000$11 million
  10. F2, Terrebonne Parish, LouisianaMarch 15, 2000$10 million
  11. F4, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaApril 3, 1999$7.9 million
  12. F3, Caddo and Bossier parishes, LouisianaApril 23, 2000$7.3 million

The biggest days in Louisiana

  1. July 8, 202425tornadoes
  2. April 14, 201821tornadoes
  3. June 6, 201920tornadoes
  4. April 2, 201719tornadoes
  5. December 24, 200919tornadoes
  6. December 21, 199017tornadoes
  7. October 3, 200216tornadoes
  8. January 2, 199916tornadoes
  9. April 10, 202415tornadoes
  10. March 30, 202215tornadoes
  11. April 26, 201115tornadoes
  12. September 13, 200815tornadoes

Every year

Every year of the published record, and above it the 52 tornado tracks surveyed in Louisiana so far in 2026. This year's figures are preliminary and are not in the totals above, which are SPC's published database.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesF4 and above
2026 preliminary52
202535661
20249526
20233412
202255460
202159111
202045514
20199049
201890113
201789346
201627294
2015294
201415
2013365
2012453
201159121
201024101472
20097522
200879310
200725353
20064119
20052318
200428132
20032013
20023328
200132414
20004359
19996271121
199826112
19971949
199618243
199550121
199482
199312351
199279285
19913615
19907220
1989452104
1988368
19872413
19861613
1985201
19842926
19836451392
1982392
19812112
198016211
1979922
19782142891
197742129
197613170
197554360
1974532103
197330152
1972175
197120485291
19701516
196918118
1968171
19671917
1966122
19652611
196414221731
196395
196219232
1961256128
1960912
1959114
195853
1957301490
195654
19553
195411211
195319131501
19529451
1951914
195020291441

Every county in Louisiana

A tornado is counted once for every county its path crossed, so these add up to more than 2,482. Each county has a page of its own: every tornado that crossed it, year by year.

CountyTornadoesDeaths
Calcasieu Parish112
Caddo Parish10233
Acadia Parish8811
Rapides Parish8216
Tangipahoa Parish7710
Saint Tammany Parish75
Bossier Parish7441
De Soto Parish7223
Saint Landry Parish7112
Jefferson Parish705
Cameron Parish673
Natchitoches Parish658
Madison Parish6457
Beauregard Parish621
Vermilion Parish623
Webster Parish6123
Union Parish572
Vernon Parish5614
Avoyelles Parish541
Jefferson Davis Parish512
Morehouse Parish495
East Baton Rouge Parish471
Ouachita Parish472
Bienville Parish465
Livingston Parish462
Lafayette Parish432
Winn Parish422
Evangeline Parish414
Jackson Parish415
Lafourche Parish4123
Richland Parish391
Sabine Parish396
Washington Parish39
Concordia Parish38
Plaquemines Parish37
Terrebonne Parish37
Catahoula Parish341
East Carroll Parish3347
West Carroll Parish33
Claiborne Parish325
Franklin Parish312
Grant Parish3011
Lincoln Parish304
Iberia Parish292
Tensas Parish29
Allen Parish27
Pointe Coupee Parish262
Saint Martin Parish267
LaSalle Parish2511
Orleans Parish243
Red River Parish2412
Saint Helena Parish242
St. Mary Parish24
Saint Charles Parish231
Saint John the Baptist Parish232
Ascension Parish221
Iberville Parish222
Assumption Parish21
Caldwell Parish202
East Feliciana Parish18
Saint Bernard Parish161
West Feliciana Parish123
West Baton Rouge Parish112
Saint James Parish103
Warren County810
Issaquena County659
Ashley County53
Union County52
Chicot County4
Hancock County3
Sharkey County357
Claiborne County2
Humphreys County247
Marion County26
Walthall County26
Washington County249
Lafayette County2
Adams County1
Jefferson Davis County16
Pearl River County1
Pike County16
Wilkinson County1
Yazoo County110
Harrison County1
Panola County1
Columbia County1

Nearby

Warnings in force in LouisianaForecast for your townThe live radar over Louisiana

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.