F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
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.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
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.
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.
Every tornado in Louisiana in 1974
January 19 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| January 19 | 7:00 PM CDT | F1 | Lafourche Parish | 2.0 | 27 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| January 19 | 7:00 PM CDT | F2 | Assumption Parish | 0.3 | 27 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
February 6 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 6 | 11:23 PM CDT | F0 | Tangipahoa Parish | 0.3 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
February 14 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 14 | 6:50 PM CDT | F1 | Franklin Parish | 1.0 | 33 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
February 18 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 18 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Natchitoches Parish | 3.6 | 23 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| February 18 | 10:00 PM CDT | F2 | Avoyelles Parish | 0.5 | 23 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
February 21 3 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| February 21 | 9:50 AM CDT | F1 | Evangeline Parish | 0.2 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| February 21 | 4:14 PM CDT | F1 | East Feliciana Parish | 5.7 | 17 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| February 21 | 4:30 PM CDT | F1 | Jefferson Parish | 1.0 | 13 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
March 20 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 20 | 11:30 PM CDT | F1 | Evangeline Parish | 0.8 | 17 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
March 21 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 21 | 1:05 AM CDT | F0 | West Baton Rouge Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | under $50 |
March 26 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 26 | 1:37 PM CDT | F1 | St. Mary Parish | 1.0 | 27 | | 2 | $500 to $5,000 |
March 28 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 28 | 9:20 PM CDT | F1 | Jackson Parish | 39.0 | 10 | | 4 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| March 28 | 9:55 PM CDT | F1 | Richland Parish | 37.8 | 10 | | 3 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
April 1 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 1 | 7:20 PM CDT | F0 | Madison Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $50 to $500 |
April 12 3 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| April 12 | 2:45 AM CDT | F1 | Rapides Parish | 5.6 | 150 | | 3 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| April 12 | 10:05 PM CDT | F0 | Tangipahoa Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| April 12 | 10:30 PM CDT | F0 | Assumption Parish | 4.5 | 17 | | 2 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
May 10 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 10 | 8:55 PM CDT | F1 | Beauregard Parish | 2.0 | 33 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
May 26 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 26 | 8:30 PM CDT | F0 | Calcasieu Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
May 31 3 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| May 31 | 11:12 AM CDT | F1 | Cameron Parish | 18.7 | 27 | | 3 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| May 31 | 11:30 AM CDT | F2 | Calcasieu Parish | 5.1 | 50 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 31 | 2:25 PM CDT | F1 | East Carroll Parish | 12.8 | 33 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
June 7 5 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 7 | 3:10 PM CDT | F0 | Webster Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $50 to $500 |
| June 7 | 3:30 PM CDT | F0 | Morehouse Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| June 7 | 5:30 PM CDT | F1 | Ouachita Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| June 7 | 7:10 PM CDT | F2 | Catahoula Parish | 6.5 | 40 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| June 7 | 9:30 PM CDT | F2 | Franklin Parish | 1.0 | 33 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
June 9 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 9 | 11:05 AM CDT | F2 | Webster Parish | 4.5 | 100 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
June 13 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 13 | 5:30 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Landry Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
June 15 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 15 | 12:00 AM CDT | F0 | Ouachita Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
June 17 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 17 | 3:15 PM CDT | F1 | Bienville Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
June 23 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| June 23 | 12:00 PM CDT | F0 | Saint John the Baptist Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | |
| June 23 | 5:00 PM CDT | F0 | Avoyelles Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
July 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 3 | 5:00 PM CDT | F1 | Pointe Coupee Parish | 0.2 | 23 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
July 14 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 14 | 6:10 PM CDT | F1 | Bossier Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
July 16 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 16 | 5:45 PM CDT | F1 | Calcasieu Parish | 0.8 | 27 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
July 23 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| July 23 | 8:00 PM CDT | F1 | Lafourche Parish | 0.8 | 17 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
August 3 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 3 | 6:30 PM CDT | F0 | Vernon Parish | 0.2 | 23 | | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
August 4 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 4 | 2:50 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Tammany Parish | 0.7 | 33 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
August 18 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| August 18 | 5:05 PM CDT | F1 | Grant Parish | 25.6 | 500 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
September 8 2 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| September 8 | 5:10 AM CDT | F1 | St. Mary Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| September 8 | 10:00 AM CDT | F1 | Vermilion Parish | 0.1 | 10 | | 1 | $500 to $5,000 |
October 28 4 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 28 | 3:38 PM CST | F1 | Webster Parish | 0.1 | 17 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
| October 28 | 7:30 PM CST | F2 | Vernon Parish | 0.2 | 100 | | 12 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| October 28 | 8:45 PM CST | F2 | Cameron Parish | 9.7 | 50 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
| October 28 | 11:00 PM CST | F2 | Concordia Parish | 8.4 | 27 | | 16 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
October 29 5 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| October 29 | 12:18 AM CST | F2 | Jefferson Parish | 0.2 | 20 | | | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| October 29 | 12:45 AM CST | F3 | Jefferson Davis Parish | 31.3 | 200 | 2 | 52 | $5 million to $50 million |
| October 29 | 3:00 AM CST | F1 | Saint Landry Parish | 6.2 | 37 | | 3 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| October 29 | 4:25 AM CST | F3 | Lafayette Parish | 7.3 | 167 | | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| October 29 | 5:00 AM CST | F1 | Pointe Coupee Parish | 5.2 | 50 | | | $500 to $5,000 |
November 20 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| November 20 | 4:30 AM CST | F2 | Saint Tammany Parish | 7.1 | 33 | | | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Tornadoes that touched down in a neighboring state and ran into Louisiana. They are counted under the state they began in.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|
| March 20 | 8:30 PM CDT | F3 | San Augustine, TX to LA | 85.2 | 200 | 1 | 9 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| March 20 | 8:30 PM CDT | F3 | Sabine, TX to LA | 44.7 | 77 | | 18 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
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.
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.