NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Breaux Bridge, 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
49 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana since 1851, 17 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 154 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 17
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 154
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
20 deaths in all
What the records show for Breaux Bridge
The strongest storm to pass near Breaux Bridge was Carmen in 1974, a Category 2 hurricane with 104 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Edith in 1971, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Breaux Bridge begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 74 miles away. Of the 49 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Breaux Bridge has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 154 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on May 17, 2020, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 7, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 154, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on May 13, 2024. Breaux Bridge has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1984, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Breaux Bridge.
Compare Breaux Bridge's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Breaux Bridge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 74 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 66 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 50 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | BarryJul 13 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 2 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 29 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 11 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 29 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | overhead | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 25 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 34 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 21 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormSep 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 21 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 23 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 72 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 54 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 52 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 38 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Breaux Bridge: 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 Breaux Bridge
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s31
- 1990s27
- 1980s18(1 EF3+)
- 1970s24(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s11(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1957 | F3 | 13 mi | 9.2 mi | 4 / 10 |
| May 17, 2020 | EF3 | 23 mi | 3.93 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Apr 21, 1977 | F3 | 3 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 15 mi | 37.9 mi | 1 / 29 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | F3 | 16 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 4, 1952 | F2 | 6 mi | 20.4 mi | 4 / 33 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 23 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Mar 5, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.99 mi | 1 / 11 |
| May 13, 2024 | EF2 | 2 mi | 8.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 2022 | EF2 | 21 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.92 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 154, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Breaux Bridge
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Breaux Bridge since 1984, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 24, 2015. The most recent report is from April 22, 2025. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Breaux Bridge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lafayette Regional Airport, LA, 10 miles southwest of Breaux Bridge at 38 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 44°F. June is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 62.9 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (33.9 of 62.9 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 49 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (21); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 5.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 91 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 11 nights a year. That 62.9 inches is more than at 55 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (68%). Arnaudville, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Grand Coteau, LA): 61.6 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and the same August average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 44 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Mar | 73 | 53 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 79 | 59 | 4.9 | 5 |
| May | 86 | 67 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 7.1 | 8 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | 10 |
| Aug | 92 | 75 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Sep | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Oct | 81 | 60 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Year | 79 | 60 | 62.9 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lafayette Regional Airport, LA (38 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 Breaux Bridge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Breaux Bridge: 55 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 10 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.11 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on November 15, 2006. May has had the most flash floods, 9 of 25. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 168 have had fewer than Breaux Bridge.
April 26, 1997: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Breaux Bridge — 3 injured, $20,000 damage.
August 14, 2016: flood 8 miles from the centre of Breaux Bridge — $700.0 million damage.
August 14, 2016: flood 9 miles from the centre of Breaux Bridge — $100.0 million damage.
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 Breaux Bridge's ZIP code 70517 have filed 547 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $13.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 105 claims (19% of all) and $3.8 million, then Flooding in 1993 with 41 and Mid-spring storms in 2011 with 17. 39% 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, 148 have fewer than Breaux Bridge.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 105 | $3.8 million |
| Flooding1993 | 41 | $246,000 |
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 17 | $91,000 |
St. Martin Parish, which includes Breaux Bridge, has been named in 54 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 34 of them major disasters (by incident: 29 hurricanes, 12 floods, 4 coastal storms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Francine, on September 16, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Martin Parish a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $47.0 million a year, the 20th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.6 million (44%), is from hurricanes.
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 Breaux Bridge
- Arnaudville, LA8 mi
- Carencro, LA11 mi
- Saint Martinville, LA11 mi
- Lafayette, LA12 mi
- Broussard, LA13 mi
- Sunset, LA14 mi
- Scott, LA15 mi
- Youngsville, LA16 mi
- Port Barre, LA18 mi
- Duson, LA19 mi
- Opelousas, LA21 mi
- Maurice, LA21 mi
All Louisiana cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Breaux Bridge with another place →