Tornadoes · United States · Louisiana

Tornadoes in Vernon Parish, Louisiana

60 tornadoes have crossed Vernon Parish since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 17th of the 64 counties in Louisiana with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 14 people and injured 109. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and 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
60
Deaths
14
Injuries
109
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, December 3, 1953

The deadliest in Vernon Parish

  1. F4, Vernon, Rapides, Grant and LaSalle parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 19539 killed, 50 injured
  2. F2, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Issaquena and Washington parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 22, 19532 killed, 22 injured
  3. F2, Vernon Parish, LouisianaApril 29, 19752 killed, 8 injured
  4. EF3, Beauregard, Vernon and Rapides parishes, LouisianaDecember 16, 20191 killed

The strongest

  1. F4, Vernon, Rapides, Grant and LaSalle parishes, LouisianaDecember 3, 1953F4, 85.5 mi (138 km)
  2. EF3, Beauregard, Vernon and Rapides parishes, LouisianaDecember 16, 2019EF3, 62.6 mi (101 km)
  3. F2, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, Issaquena and Washington parishes, Louisiana and MississippiMarch 22, 1953F2, 234.7 mi (378 km)
  4. F2, Vernon, Natchitoches, Rapides and Grant parishes, LouisianaMarch 30, 1976F2, 42.1 mi (68 km)
  5. EF2, Newton, Jasper and Vernon counties, Texas and LouisianaApril 22, 2020EF2, 36.4 mi (59 km)
  6. F2, Vernon, Sabine and Natchitoches parishes, LouisianaMarch 30, 1976F2, 35.9 mi (58 km)
  7. F2, Beauregard and Vernon parishes, LouisianaNovember 26, 2003F2, 18.0 mi (29 km)
  8. F2, Vernon Parish, LouisianaApril 29, 1975F2, 14.8 mi (24 km)
  9. F2, Vernon Parish, LouisianaNovember 23, 2004F2, 10.0 mi (16 km)
  10. F2, Vernon Parish, LouisianaNovember 21, 1992F2, 6.0 mi (10 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 33 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Vernon Parish. Each year links to every tornado in Louisiana that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261Unrated
20252EF1
20244EF1
20231EF0
20221EF1
20211EF0
20202EF2
201911EF3
20183EF1
20151EF1
20131EF1
20124EF0
20082EF0
20061F0
200453F2
200315F2
20012F1
20001F0
19991F0
19981F0
19951F0
19941F1
19923F2
199131F1
19901F1
19893F1
198811F1
197822F1
197634F2
1975128F2
1974213F2
19571F1
195321172F4

Every tornado that crossed Vernon Parish

60 tornadoes, newest first. 3 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Louisiana. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 14, 20268:10 PM CSTUnratedVernon Parish2.60
March 4, 202511:27 AM CSTUnratedVernon Parish2.210
March 4, 202511:01 AM CSTEF1Vernon Parish1.1100$20,000
December 28, 20243:49 PM CSTEF1Vernon Parish1.250$5,000
December 28, 20243:27 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish3.350$10,000
December 28, 20243:20 PM CSTEF1Vernon Parish6.3100$5,000
December 26, 20248:30 PM CSTEF1Vernon Parish4.0100$5,000
November 20, 20235:17 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish1.475
March 30, 202212:37 PM CDTEF1Vernon Parish2.185$10,000
December 6, 20216:55 AM CSTEF0Vernon Parish0.210$2,000
April 22, 20207:28 PM CDTEF2Newton to LA36.4600$475,000
April 19, 20204:50 PM CDTEF1Vernon Parish5.3500$300,000
December 16, 201911:10 AM CSTEF3Beauregard Parish62.65501$25 million
December 27, 20186:12 AM CSTEF1Vernon Parish0.3200$7,000
February 7, 20183:48 AM CSTEF1Vernon Parish5.0350$25,000
January 22, 20182:23 AM CSTEF0Vernon Parish0.010$15,000
October 31, 20156:41 AM CDTEF1Vernon Parish2.1140$7,000
February 21, 20132:58 PM CSTEF1Vernon Parish2.450$5,000
December 25, 201212:43 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish2.2200$25,000
December 25, 201212:15 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish0.250$1,000
January 25, 20122:14 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish1.640$20,000
January 25, 20121:33 PM CSTEF0Vernon Parish3.125$20,000
September 12, 20085:10 PM CDTEF0Vernon Parish0.710
September 12, 20085:06 PM CDTEF0Vernon Parish0.710
October 16, 200611:10 AM CDTF0Vernon Parish0.110
November 23, 20047:20 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish3.050$50,000
November 23, 20046:50 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish14.0150$100,000
November 23, 20046:35 PM CSTF2Vernon Parish10.06003$500,000
November 23, 20046:08 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish1.0100$200,000
November 23, 20045:40 PM CSTF1Newton to LA9.0300$50,000
November 26, 20039:50 PM CSTF2Beauregard Parish18.01005$1.1 million
December 12, 200111:12 AM CSTF1Beauregard Parish4.020$150,000
October 11, 200111:10 AM CDTF0Vernon Parish0.510$10,000
March 10, 20004:53 PM CSTF0Vernon Parish1.020$1,000
January 22, 199910:40 AM CSTF0Vernon Parish1.010$30,000
October 6, 199810:21 AM CDTF0Vernon Parish0.530$10,000
January 27, 19954:30 PM CSTF0Vernon Parish0.120
November 27, 19944:45 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish0.550$5,000 to $50,000
November 21, 19927:12 PM CSTF2Vernon Parish6.0150$5,000 to $50,000
June 3, 19924:00 PM CDTF1Vernon Parish19.050
June 3, 19923:45 PM CDTF1Vernon Parish0.120
November 19, 19918:15 AM CSTF1Vernon Parish0.3201$5,000 to $50,000
July 4, 19914:00 PM CDTF0Vernon Parish0.517$500 to $5,000
April 11, 199110:05 AM CDTF1Vernon Parish0.550$500 to $5,000
March 29, 19901:40 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish0.530$5,000 to $50,000
June 7, 19899:55 PM CDTF1Vernon Parish0.530$50,000 to $500,000
June 7, 19897:00 PM CDTF1Vernon Parish2.040$50,000 to $500,000
March 29, 19893:22 AM CSTF1Vernon Parish1.033$5,000 to $50,000
December 22, 19888:35 PM CSTF1Vernon Parish1.0501$50,000 to $500,000
November 26, 197811:00 AM CSTF1Vernon Parish0.527$5,000 to $50,000
September 14, 19786:45 AM CDTF1Sabine to LA9.3102
March 30, 19762:45 PM CSTF2Vernon Parish42.1773$50,000 to $500,000
March 30, 19762:00 PM CSTF2Vernon Parish35.950$50,000 to $500,000
January 25, 197611:30 AM CSTF1Vernon Parish0.1101$5,000 to $50,000
April 29, 197511:30 PM CDTF2Vernon Parish14.85028$50,000 to $500,000
October 28, 19747:30 PM CSTF2Vernon Parish0.210012$50,000 to $500,000
August 3, 19746:30 PM CDTF0Vernon Parish0.2231$5,000 to $50,000
November 7, 19578:35 PM GMT-6F1Vernon Parish1.050$5,000 to $50,000
December 3, 19531:00 AM GMT-6F4Vernon Parish85.5300950$500,000 to $5 million
March 22, 19533:00 PM GMT-6F2Vernon Parish to MS234.7200222$500,000 to $5 million

Nearby

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