NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bunkie, 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
39 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bunkie, Louisiana since 1851, 9 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 125 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 9
- Tropical storms
- 30
- Tornadoes
- 125
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Bunkie
The strongest storm to pass near Bunkie was Laura in 2020, a Category 2 hurricane with 108 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1909, whose centre came within 33 miles. The record near Bunkie begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The 1980s and the 2010s were the busiest decades, with 4 systems each. Of the 39 systems, 9 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 58% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Bunkie. The highest rating among the 125 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 10, 2021, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 29, 2002, killed 2 people. Of the 125, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 72 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on March 31, 2025. Bunkie has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 48% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bunkie.
Compare Bunkie's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bunkie
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 67 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 2 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 47 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 44 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 72 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 64 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 50 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 16 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 33 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 69 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 67 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bunkie: 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 Bunkie
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s24
- 2000s24
- 1990s14
- 1980s14(2 EF3+)
- 1970s12
- 1960s9
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2021 | EF3 | 21 mi | 8.71 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Jan 31, 1983 | F3 | in town | 5 mi | 1 / 2 |
| May 20, 1983 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 29, 2002 | F2 | 23 mi | 10.5 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Apr 22, 2020 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.98 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 1957 | F2 | 15 mi | 18.3 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 31, 2025 | EF2 | 16 mi | 1.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 8, 2023 | EF2 | 15 mi | 3.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 2020 | EF2 | 3 mi | 3.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 1, 2018 | EF2 | 8 mi | 5.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2018 | EF2 | 7 mi | 7.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2018 | EF2 | 18 mi | 13.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 125, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bunkie
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Bunkie since 1965, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 5, 2012. The most recent report is from May 12, 2024. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bunkie
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bunkie, LA, 3 miles north of Bunkie at 80 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 39°F. January is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 61.7 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (28.5 of 61.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 39 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 4.5 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 20 nights a year. That 61.7 inches is more than at 46 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (57%). Ville Platte, 17 miles southwest, has its own station (Eunice, LA): 57.8 inches a year, 3.9 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 39 | 6.8 | 7 |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 5.9 | 6 |
| May | 86 | 64 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 93 | 72 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 81 | 56 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 62 | 41 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 56 | 61.7 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bunkie, LA (80 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 Bunkie
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 58 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bunkie: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $21.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 26, 2023. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 47 have had fewer than Bunkie.
January 10, 2013: flood 3 miles from the centre of Bunkie — $19.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flood waters from rainfall that fell mainly during the 9th and 10th slowly drained across Avoyeles Parish. During the flood event 114 homes were damaged.”
April 22, 2005: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Bunkie — $800,000 damage.
August 18, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Bunkie — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “The remnants of Tropical Depression Five stalled across Avoyelles Parish on August 18, causing nearly sixteen hours of heavy rainfall. The resulting rainfall totals of up to 15 inches resulted in widespread flash flooding throughout the parish, with a total of 25 homes and 15 business reportedly flooded.”
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 Bunkie's ZIP code 71322 have filed 149 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $2.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1982: 13 claims (9% of all) and $62,000, then Hurricane Gustav in 2008 with 11. The year with the most claims was 2017, with 24. 30% 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, 92 have fewer than Bunkie.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1982 | 13 | $62,000 |
| Hurricane Gustav2008 | 11 | $299,000 |
Avoyelles Parish, which includes Bunkie, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 hurricanes, 7 floods, 3 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Avoyelles Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.9 million a year, the 33rd highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.8 million (24%), 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 Bunkie
- Cottonport, LA9 mi
- Saint Landry, LA9 mi
- Hessmer, LA10 mi
- Mansura, LA12 mi
- Plaucheville, LA13 mi
- Marksville, LA16 mi
- Ville Platte, LA17 mi
- Moreauville, LA18 mi
- Lecompte, LA19 mi
- Washington, LA20 mi
- Simmesport, LA21 mi
- Forest Hill, LA23 mi
All Louisiana cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Bunkie with another place →