Skip to content

NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gonzales, LA

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

65 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gonzales, Louisiana since 1851, 20 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 120 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
20

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
45

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
120

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
7

7 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gonzales

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Gonzales, Louisiana, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024FrancineSep 1223 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
2021IdaAug 3013 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 4
2021ClaudetteJun 1935 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
2020ZetaOct 2853 miCategory 2 (105 mph)Category 3
2020CristobalJun 831 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2019OlgaOct 2618 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
2012IsaacAug 3014 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
2011LeeSep 517 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
2008GustavSep 141 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 4
2005CindyJul 670 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2004MatthewOct 1071 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2003BillJun 3027 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
2002IsidoreSep 2662 miTropical storm (62 mph)Category 3
2001AllisonJun 1124 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1998HermineSep 2071 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1992AndrewAug 2645 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 5
1988FlorenceSep 1031 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1988BerylAug 98 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1985JuanOct 2944 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 1
1985ElenaSep 262 miTropical storm (69 mph)Category 3
1979BobJul 1133 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1977BabeSep 549 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1974CarmenSep 858 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 4
1971EdithSep 1641 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 5
1965BetsySep 1014 miCategory 1 (93 mph)Category 4
1964HildaOct 411 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 4
1959ArleneMay 3131 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1957EstherSep 1812 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1956Unnamed 1956 stormJun 1319 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1955Unnamed 1955 stormAug 272 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1955BrendaAug 237 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1949Unnamed 1949 stormSep 48 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1948Unnamed 1948 stormSep 459 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 1
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 192 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormAug 2258 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1937Unnamed 1937 stormOct 371 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 2743 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1634 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 2
1932Unnamed 1932 stormOct 1643 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1946 miTropical storm (54 mph)Tropical storm
1931Unnamed 1931 stormJul 1520 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 2221 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 4
1926Unnamed 1926 stormAug 2615 miTropical storm (72 mph)Category 3
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 165 miTropical storm (70 mph)Category 1
1920Unnamed 1920 stormSep 2228 miCategory 1 (78 mph)Category 2
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 3044 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 4
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 137 miTropical storm (59 mph)Tropical storm
1911Unnamed 1911 stormAug 1353 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1909Unnamed 1909 stormSep 2131 miCategory 2 (105 mph)Category 3
1905Unnamed 1905 stormOct 94 miTropical storm (43 mph)Tropical storm
1905Unnamed 1905 stormSep 2958 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1893Unnamed 1893 stormSep 736 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 2
1892Unnamed 1892 stormSep 1261 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1890Unnamed 1890 stormAug 2714 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 201 miCategory 1 (84 mph)Category 3
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 1975 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
1886Unnamed 1886 stormJun 1561 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 2
1879Unnamed 1879 stormOct 773 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1879Unnamed 1879 stormSep 11 miCategory 1 (94 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 1867 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 619 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 1
1867Unnamed 1867 stormOct 471 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1863Unnamed 1863 stormOct 19 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1860Unnamed 1860 stormOct 217 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 2
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 1153 miCategory 3 (110 mph)Category 4

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gonzales: 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 Gonzales

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2010s36(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s19
  • 1990s14(1 EF3+)
  • 1980s14
  • 1970s14(2 EF3+)
  • 1960s8(2 EF3+)
  • 1950s9(1 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Gonzales, Louisiana
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Aug 25, 1992F320 mi9 mi2 / 32
Feb 6, 1953F322 mi15.6 mi2 / 21
Feb 23, 2016EF313 mi7.78 mi0 / 0
Apr 26, 1973F321 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 16, 1971F317 mi7.3 mi0 / 3
Dec 25, 1969F313 mi13.5 mi0 / 1
Apr 12, 1969F32 mi10.7 mi0 / 1
Feb 23, 2016EF211 mi12.95 mi2 / 75
Jun 6, 2019EF29 mi1.6 mi0 / 5
Feb 7, 2017EF221 mi23.08 mi0 / 3
Feb 23, 2016EF221 mi4.33 mi0 / 0
Jun 8, 1989F225 mi9.5 mi0 / 60

The strongest 12 of 120, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Gonzales while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Louisiana