NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ethel, 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
51 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ethel, Louisiana since 1851, 8 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 8
- Tropical storms
- 43
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Ethel
The strongest storm to pass near Ethel was an unnamed storm in 1909, a Category 2 hurricane with 97 mph winds when its centre passed 27 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1860, whose centre came within 5 miles. The record near Ethel begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 51 miles away. The 1950s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 51 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 60% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Ethel. The highest rating among the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on October 14, 1984, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on June 7, 2001, killed 1 person. Of the 94, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 42 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2024. Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ethel. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 20 times since 1962, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ethel.
Compare Ethel's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ethel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 58 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2003 | BillJul 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 31 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 2 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 31 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 22 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 61 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 27 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 7 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 24 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 5 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 12 | 23 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 Ethel: 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 Ethel
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s16
- 2000s15
- 1990s11
- 1980s16(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 24 mi | 37.9 mi | 1 / 29 |
| Oct 14, 1984 | F3 | 3 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 1972 | F3 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F3 | 18 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | EF2 | 14 mi | 14.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 18 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F2 | 4 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 18 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 60 |
| May 18, 1989 | F2 | 7 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 20, 1986 | F2 | 14 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ethel
The Storm Prediction Center has 20 hail reports within 10 miles of Ethel since 1962, made on 18 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 29, 2011. The most recent report is from June 17, 2023. March has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ethel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clinton 5 SE, LA, 8 miles east of Ethel at 200 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 38°F. June is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 59.9 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (28.1 of 59.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 51 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (19); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 73 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 29 nights a year. That 59.9 inches is more than at 36 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (44%). Jackson, 7 miles west, has its own station (New Roads 5 NE, LA): 58.6 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 38 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 65 | 41 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 71 | 47 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 5.5 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 6.0 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 79 | 55 | 4.3 | 4 |
| Nov | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 59.9 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clinton 5 SE, LA (200 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 Ethel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ethel: 69 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.68 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on November 1, 2018. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 96 have had fewer than Ethel.
August 13, 2016: flood 9 miles from the centre of Ethel — 4 killed, $1.68 billion damage.
November 24, 1996: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Ethel — 1 injured, $500 damage.
April 10, 2024: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ethel — $100,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Ethel's ZIP code 70730 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1997, and were paid $430,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 80% 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, 0 have fewer than Ethel.
East Feliciana Parish, which includes Ethel, has been named in 41 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 24 hurricanes, 5 coastal storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives East Feliciana Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.7 million a year, the 42nd highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (40%), 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 Ethel
- Slaughter, LA6 mi
- Jackson, LA7 mi
- Zachary, LA11 mi
- Clinton, LA12 mi
- Pride, LA14 mi
- Saint Francisville, LA16 mi
- Baker, LA16 mi
- Greenwell Springs, LA18 mi
- Centreville, MS19 mi
- Ventress, LA19 mi
- New Roads, LA21 mi
- Greensburg, LA22 mi
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