Tornadoes · United States · Louisiana

Tornadoes in Saint Helena Parish, Louisiana

26 tornadoes have crossed Saint Helena Parish since 1950, 2 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 48th of the 64 counties in Louisiana with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.9 years. They have killed 2 people and injured 44. None was rated F4 or above.

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.

Now

Tornadoes
26
Deaths
2
Injuries
44
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, May 19, 1983

The deadliest in Saint Helena Parish

  1. F3, LaSalle and Saint Helena parishes, LouisianaMay 19, 19831 killed, 35 injured
  2. F2, Saint Helena and Tangipahoa parishes, LouisianaNovember 15, 20061 killed, 2 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, LaSalle and Saint Helena parishes, LouisianaMay 19, 1983F3, 12.0 mi (19 km)
  2. F2, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Saint Helena and Tangipahoa parishes, LouisianaDecember 4, 1973F2, 42.7 mi (69 km)
  3. F2, Saint Helena and Tangipahoa parishes, LouisianaNovember 15, 2006F2, 6.0 mi (10 km)
  4. F2, Livingston and Saint Helena parishes, LouisianaJune 8, 1989F2, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  5. F2, Saint Helena Parish, LouisianaMay 8, 1975F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  6. F2, Saint Helena Parish, LouisianaJune 17, 1968F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 17 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Saint Helena Parish. Each year links to every tornado in Louisiana that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20262EF1
20242EF1
20192EF1
20183EF1
20162EF1
20111EF1
20082EF1
2006112F2
20001F1
19892F2
19832139F3
19751F2
19741F1
197313F2
19681F2
19571F1
19531F1

Every tornado that crossed Saint Helena Parish

26 tornadoes, newest first. The 2 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 11, 20268:17 PM CDTEF1Saint Helena Parish12.2200
March 11, 20268:29 PM CDTEF0Saint Helena Parish8.8175
June 4, 20244:57 PM CDTEF0Saint Helena Parish4.475
June 4, 20244:55 PM CDTEF1Saint Helena Parish3.0100
May 19, 20198:30 AM CDTEF0Saint Helena Parish0.230
April 7, 20198:04 PM CDTEF1Saint Helena Parish1.575
November 1, 20183:33 AM CDTEF1Saint Helena Parish1.175
April 14, 20188:35 AM CDTEF0Saint Helena Parish6.2120
April 14, 20188:20 AM CDTEF0Saint Helena Parish0.420
March 31, 20165:55 AM CDTEF1Saint Helena Parish0.250
February 23, 20161:14 PM CSTEF0Saint Helena Parish0.350
November 16, 20112:40 AM CSTEF1Saint Helena Parish0.5150$50,000
February 17, 20083:42 AM CSTEF1Saint Helena Parish0.315$30,000
February 12, 20081:23 PM CSTEF0Saint Helena Parish0.220
November 15, 20061:55 AM CSTF2Saint Helena Parish6.010012$500,000
April 3, 20008:45 AM CDTF1Saint Helena Parish6.070$50,000
June 8, 19897:50 AM CDTF1Saint Helena Parish2.040$50,000 to $500,000
June 8, 19897:00 AM CDTF2Livingston Parish4.050$5,000 to $50,000
December 11, 198312:30 AM CSTF1Saint Helena Parish0.52004$50,000 to $500,000
May 19, 198312:05 AM CDTF3LaSalle Parish12.0500135$5 million to $50 million
May 8, 19753:00 AM CDTF2Saint Helena Parish0.110
February 21, 19744:14 PM CDTF1East Feliciana Parish5.717$5,000 to $50,000
December 4, 19731:10 AM CSTF2East Baton Rouge Parish42.7803$500,000 to $5 million
June 17, 19684:00 PM GMT-5F2Saint Helena Parish0.117$500 to $5,000
November 18, 195711:00 AM GMT-6F1Livingston Parish21.627$5,000 to $50,000
May 18, 19532:30 PM GMT-5F1Saint Helena Parish2.067$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Saint Helena ParishThe forecast for Saint Helena ParishThe live radar over Saint Helena ParishEvery county in 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.