NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Downsville, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Downsville, Louisiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 125 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 125
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Downsville
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Downsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1909, a tropical storm with 71 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Downsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a tropical storm 52 miles away. Of the 18 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Downsville. The strongest of the 125 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 1, 1983; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 25, 2019, killed 2 people. Of the 125, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 41. The most recent tornado was on January 5, 2025. Downsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 48% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 135 times since 1968, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Downsville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Downsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 4 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 3 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 21 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Downsville: 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 Downsville
By decade
- 2020s20(3 EF3+)
- 2010s21(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s16
- 1980s21(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 1983 | F4 | 19 mi | 9 mi | 2 / 20 |
| Apr 25, 2019 | EF3 | 10 mi | 11.15 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF3 | 11 mi | 9.06 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 15 mi | 2.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 16 mi | 8.01 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1983 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 1, 1968 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 30, 1996 | F2 | 18 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Jan 5, 2025 | EF2 | 18 mi | 9.03 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2023 | EF2 | 15 mi | 3.94 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 Downsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 135 hail reports within 10 miles of Downsville since 1968, made on 89 separate days. Of these, 83 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on January 22, 1999. The most recent report is from September 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 41.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Downsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Calhoun Rsch Stn, LA, 9 miles south of Downsville at 120 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 33°F. January and April are the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 57.7 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (24.9 of 57.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (8); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 57 nights a year. That 57.7 inches is more than at 18 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (22%). Farmerville, 9 miles north, has its own station (Farmerville, LA): 58.3 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 61 | 36 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.7 | 6 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 67 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 94 | 69 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 89 | 63 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 78 | 50 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Year | 76 | 51 | 57.7 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Calhoun Rsch Stn, LA (120 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 Downsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 164 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Downsville: 143 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $36.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 5, 2022. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 19. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 140 have had fewer than Downsville.
March 9, 2016: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Downsville — 1 killed.
July 29, 2018: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Downsville — 1 killed.
April 13, 2019: flood 9 miles from the centre of Downsville — 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 Downsville's ZIP code 71234 have filed 33 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $639,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late winter severe storms in 2016: 13 claims (39% of all) and $438,000. 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, 28 have fewer than Downsville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter severe storms2016 | 13 | $438,000 |
Union Parish, which includes Downsville, has been named in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 18, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Union Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.6 million a year, the 44th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.6 million (52%), 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 Downsville
- Farmerville, LA9 mi
- Calhoun, LA9 mi
- Choudrant, LA11 mi
- West Monroe, LA15 mi
- Sterlington, LA16 mi
- Marion, LA18 mi
- Monroe, LA19 mi
- Dubach, LA19 mi
- Ruston, LA19 mi
- Eros, LA19 mi
- Bernice, LA22 mi
- Grambling, LA23 mi
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