Tornadoes · United States · Louisiana

Tornadoes in Union Parish, Louisiana

57 tornadoes have crossed Union Parish since 1950, 18th of the 64 counties in Louisiana with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 2 people and injured 51. 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
57
Deaths
2
Injuries
51
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
F3, December 3, 1978

The deadliest in Union Parish

  1. F3, Webster, Claiborne, Union and Union parishes, Louisiana and ArkansasDecember 3, 19782 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne and Union parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 1978F3, 61.1 mi (98 km)
  2. F3, Webster, Claiborne, Union and Union parishes, Louisiana and ArkansasDecember 3, 1978F3, 60.0 mi (97 km)
  3. EF3, Union Parish, LouisianaDecember 13, 2022EF3, 9.1 mi (15 km)
  4. F3, Union Parish, LouisianaNovember 19, 1983F3, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  5. F2, Union, Morehouse and Ashley parishes, Louisiana and ArkansasDecember 5, 1953F2, 58.3 mi (94 km)
  6. F2, Webster, Claiborne and Union parishes, LouisianaMay 7, 1978F2, 44.9 mi (72 km)
  7. F2, Union and Morehouse parishes, LouisianaApril 15, 1972F2, 41.9 mi (67 km)
  8. F2, Union and Union parishes, Louisiana and ArkansasDecember 18, 2002F2, 20.2 mi (33 km)
  9. F2, Union Parish, LouisianaDecember 5, 1953F2, 9.7 mi (16 km)
  10. EF2, Union and Morehouse parishes, LouisianaJanuary 5, 2025EF2, 9.0 mi (15 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 34 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Union Parish. Each year links to every tornado in Louisiana that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20242EF2
20232EF2
2022214EF3
20213EF1
20201EF1
20191EF1
20183EF1
20171EF0
20131EF1
20113EF1
20101EF0
200941EF1
20082EF0
20071EF0
20061F0
20031F1
20021F2
20011F1
19991F1
199234F1
19902F1
19852F1
19841F1
19831F3
19821F1
19812F1
1978424F3
19772F1
19721F2
196611F1
19611F2
19551F0
1953227F2

Every tornado that crossed Union Parish

57 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 5, 20252:19 PM CSTEF2Union Parish9.0650$105,000
July 8, 20247:42 PM CDTEF2Union Parish1.5175$300,000
July 8, 20246:59 PM CDTEF2Union Parish3.2750$30,000
May 11, 202310:59 AM CDTEF1Union Parish0.680
January 2, 20236:19 PM CSTEF2Union Parish3.9900$250,000
December 13, 20228:23 PM CSTEF3Union Parish9.150014$1.2 million
April 5, 20223:45 AM CDTEF1Lincoln Parish5.1150$10,000
May 2, 20216:52 PM CDTEF0Union Parish0.180
March 30, 20218:54 PM CDTEF1Union Parish1.2105$30,000
March 17, 20212:26 PM CDTEF1Union Parish2.6766$150,000
January 11, 20202:19 AM CSTEF1Union Parish3.0250$60,000
April 25, 20192:10 AM CDTEF1Union Parish21.4850$5.0 million
April 14, 20182:24 AM CDTEF1Lincoln Parish7.31,545$90,000
April 13, 20187:04 PM CDTEF1Union Parish0.4200
April 13, 20186:43 PM CDTEF1Union Parish3.9950$1,000
January 21, 20178:48 PM CSTEF0Union Parish0.650$10,000
December 21, 20133:43 PM CSTEF1Union Parish0.875$1,000
May 25, 20118:20 PM CDTEF1Union Parish6.2400$500,000
May 25, 20117:58 PM CDTEF0Union Parish5.5150
April 26, 20119:45 PM CDTEF1Claiborne Parish to AR26.5100$20,000
April 24, 20106:57 AM CDTEF0Union Parish0.570
December 24, 20098:20 AM CSTEF1Union Parish6.0150$100,000
October 29, 20091:33 PM CDTEF0Union Parish3.750$20,000
October 9, 200910:12 AM CDTEF1Union Parish0.91501$200,000
April 9, 200911:21 PM CDTEF1Union Parish5.5150
September 13, 20082:08 PM CDTEF0Union Parish3.550$5,000
September 13, 200812:53 PM CDTEF0Union Parish0.340
February 24, 20073:15 PM CSTEF0Union Parish2.0150
April 7, 20063:35 PM CDTF0Union Parish6.8250$70,000
May 7, 20035:43 AM CDTF1Lincoln Parish5.3100
December 18, 20023:55 PM CSTF2Union Parish to AR20.2110$1.0 million
November 26, 20014:48 PM CSTF1Union Parish8.740
January 22, 19991:50 AM CSTF1Union Parish to AR21.040$3,000
November 3, 19925:00 PM CSTF1Union Parish1.557$50,000 to $500,000
August 26, 19924:17 PM CDTF1Union Parish2.0204$5,000 to $50,000
August 26, 19924:00 PM CDTF0Union Parish0.520
May 16, 19907:45 PM CDTF1Union Parish0.223$500 to $5,000
February 15, 19903:50 PM CSTF1Union Parish0.530
April 5, 198512:00 PM CSTF1Ouachita Parish3.0150
April 5, 198511:05 AM CSTF1Union Parish2.0100
May 1, 19841:10 PM CDTF1Union Parish0.5100$50,000 to $500,000
November 19, 19831:30 PM CSTF3Union Parish2.0200$500,000 to $5 million
April 2, 19828:15 PM CSTF1Union Parish5.050$50 to $500
May 16, 19816:30 PM CDTF1Union Parish20.150$5,000 to $50,000
May 16, 19816:30 PM CDTF1Union Parish24.550$5,000 to $50,000
December 3, 19783:38 AM CSTF3Webster Parish to AR60.030024$50,000 to $500,000
December 3, 19782:30 AM CSTF3Bossier Parish61.110
May 7, 19781:55 AM CDTF1Union Parish0.110
May 7, 19781:20 AM CDTF2Webster Parish44.910$500,000 to $5 million
March 3, 19771:00 PM CSTF1Union Parish31.610$5,000 to $50,000
March 3, 197712:30 PM CSTF1Lincoln Parish34.1100$50,000 to $500,000
April 15, 19725:48 PM CSTF2Union Parish41.950$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 19667:15 PM GMT-5F1Union Parish0.6331$500 to $5,000
September 12, 19614:00 PM GMT-5F2Union to AR7.1100$5,000 to $50,000
June 27, 19554:00 PM GMT-5F0Union Parish0.233under $50
December 5, 19535:00 PM GMT-6F2Union Parish to AR58.388011$50,000 to $500,000
December 5, 19534:00 PM GMT-6F2Union Parish9.73316$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Union ParishThe forecast for Union ParishThe live radar over Union 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.