NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Baker, LA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Baker, Louisiana since 1851, 12 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 12
- Tropical storms
- 42
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Baker
The strongest storm to pass near Baker was Carmen in 1974, a Category 3 hurricane with 113 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1860, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Baker begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 54 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 50% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Baker. The highest rating among the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on October 14, 1984, came within 5 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on June 8, 1989, killed 2 people. Of the 117, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 53 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2024. Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Baker. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 78 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Baker has more hail reports within 10 miles than 79% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Baker
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 21 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 47 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | BillJun 30 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 74 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 20 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 17 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 17 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 15 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 22 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 61 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 22 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 10 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 20 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 2 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 12 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Baker: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Baker
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s28
- 2000s13
- 1990s14
- 1980s20(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 20 mi | 37.9 mi | 1 / 29 |
| Oct 14, 1984 | F3 | 5 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | F3 | 7 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 1972 | F3 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F3 | 5 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 14.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 14 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 17, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F2 | 20 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Baker
The Storm Prediction Center has 78 hail reports within 10 miles of Baker since 1960, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 54 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 22, 2008. The most recent report is from June 11, 2025. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Baker
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Baton Rouge Ryan Airport, LA, 3 miles south of Baker at 64 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 42°F. June is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 62.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 50% of the year's precipitation (31.1 of 62.0 inches). September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 4.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 96 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 18 nights a year. That 62.0 inches is more than at 49 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (60%). Slaughter, 10 miles north, has its own station (Clinton 5 SE, LA): 59.9 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 42 | 6.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 67 | 45 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 79 | 57 | 5.1 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 65 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 72 | 6.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 5.1 | 9 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 6.4 | 8 |
| Sep | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 81 | 58 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 71 | 48 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Year | 79 | 58 | 62.0 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Baton Rouge Ryan Airport, LA (64 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Baker
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 202 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Baker: 131 thunderstorm wind reports, 43 flash floods, 20 lightning strikes, 7 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 6 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.69 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 26, 2009. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 43. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 196 have had fewer than Baker.
August 13, 2016: flood 10 miles from the centre of Baker — 4 killed, $1.68 billion damage.
June 6, 2019: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Baker — 1 killed, $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall of 4 to 7 inches occurred across the Baton Rouge metro area producing widespread flooding of streets and some buildings. A number of roadway underpasses were flooded with cars trapped or flooded.”
May 30, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Baker — 1 killed.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Baker's ZIP code 70714 have filed 1,679 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $87.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 1,018 claims (61% of all) and $82.0 million, then Flooding in 1983 with 266 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 with 64. 86% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 219 Louisiana cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 181 have fewer than Baker.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 1,018 | $82.0 million |
| Flooding1983 | 266 | $2.6 million |
| Tropical Storm Allison2001 | 64 | $774,000 |
| Hurricane Gustav2008 | 19 | $121,000 |
| Hurricane Delta2020 | 15 | $427,000 |
| Hurricane Katrina2005 | 13 | $31,000 |
East Baton Rouge Parish, which includes Baker, has been named in 47 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 29 of them major disasters (by incident: 26 hurricanes, 10 floods, 4 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Francine, on September 16, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives East Baton Rouge Parish a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively High for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $266.6 million a year, the 3rd highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $103.2 million (39%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Baker
- Zachary, LA5 mi
- Slaughter, LA10 mi
- Pride, LA10 mi
- Greenwell Springs, LA10 mi
- Port Allen, LA10 mi
- Baton Rouge, LA11 mi
- Denham Springs, LA14 mi
- Brusly, LA15 mi
- Ethel, LA16 mi
- Ventress, LA16 mi
- Jackson, LA17 mi
- Addis, LA18 mi
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