NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elton, 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
45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Elton, Louisiana since 1851, 13 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 144 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 13
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 144
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Elton
The strongest storm to pass near Elton was Laura in 2020, a Category 3 hurricane with 124 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Delta in 2020, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Elton begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Delta in 2020. The 1930s and the 2010s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 45 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Elton has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 49% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 144 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on November 21, 1992, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on September 3, 2008, killed 2 people. Of the 144, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 79 have come since 2000. October has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on November 5, 2024. Elton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1972, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | overhead | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 36 mi | Category 3 (124 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 2 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 62 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 30 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 25 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 3 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 42 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 61 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | BerthaAug 10 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 47 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 72 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 16 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 6 | 49 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 70 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 70 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 56 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 48 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 49 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 Elton: 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 Elton
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s34
- 2000s34
- 1990s23(1 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 31.3 mi | 2 / 52 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F3 | 19 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | F3 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1967 | F3 | 19 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 4, 1952 | F3 | 16 mi | 36.7 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 3, 2008 | EF2 | 12 mi | 7.06 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Oct 29, 2002 | F2 | 20 mi | 10.5 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Oct 25, 2022 | EF2 | 14 mi | 0.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 31, 2018 | EF2 | 22 mi | 13.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 29, 2017 | EF2 | 17 mi | 2.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 2017 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 2009 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.64 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 144, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elton
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Elton since 1972, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 26, 2001. The most recent report is from May 3, 2017. February and April have the most reports, 5 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oberlin Fire Twr, LA, 10 miles northwest of Elton at 65 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 39°F. January is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 61.9 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 (31.0 of 61.9 inches). September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 5.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 79 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 19 nights a year. That 61.9 inches is more than at 47 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (58%). Basile, 7 miles east, has its own station (Eunice, LA): 57.8 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and an August average high of 93°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 39 | 6.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 43 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Mar | 70 | 50 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 5.1 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 79 | 57 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Nov | 69 | 47 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Dec | 61 | 42 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Year | 77 | 56 | 61.9 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oberlin Fire Twr, LA (65 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 Elton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 72 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elton: 62 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $19.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 24, 2025. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 34 have had fewer than Elton.
August 13, 2016: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Elton — $15.0 million damage.
October 26, 2006: flood 9 miles from the centre of Elton — $3.0 million damage.
November 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Elton — $250,000 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
Jefferson Davis Parish, which includes Elton, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 25 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 coastal storms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson Davis Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, coastal flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $27.7 million a year, the 27th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.4 million (37%), 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 Elton
- Basile, LA7 mi
- Kinder, LA10 mi
- Oberlin, LA10 mi
- Iota, LA16 mi
- Jennings, LA16 mi
- Eunice, LA17 mi
- Welsh, LA18 mi
- Mamou, LA19 mi
- Oakdale, LA23 mi
- Iowa, LA24 mi
- Morse, LA26 mi
- Crowley, LA26 mi
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