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.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
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, 128 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 20
- Tropical storms
- 45
- Tornadoes
- 128
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Gonzales
The strongest storm to pass near Gonzales was Carmen in 1974, a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1888, whose centre came within 1 mile. The record near Gonzales begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 23 miles away. The 1930s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 65 systems, 14 have come since 2000. Gonzales has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 128 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on February 23, 2016, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on February 23, 2016, killed 2 people. Of the 128, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on October 26, 2025. Gonzales has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 45 times since 1956, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Gonzales has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
Compare Gonzales's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gonzales
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 13 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 28 | 53 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 41 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | MatthewOct 10 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | BillJun 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | HermineSep 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 45 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 68 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 14 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 11 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 2 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 2 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 22 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 27 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 34 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 22 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 28 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 44 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 13 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 31 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 36 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 1 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 75 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 1 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 18 | 67 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 4 | 71 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 17 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 53 mi | Category 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
- 2020s11
- 2010s39(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s14(1 EF3+)
- 1980s14
- 1970s14(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 9 mi | 2 / 32 |
| Feb 6, 1953 | F3 | 22 mi | 15.6 mi | 2 / 21 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF3 | 13 mi | 7.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | F3 | 21 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 25, 1969 | F3 | 13 mi | 13.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 1969 | F3 | 2 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 11 mi | 12.95 mi | 2 / 75 |
| Jun 6, 2019 | EF2 | 9 mi | 2.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 23.08 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 21 mi | 4.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 60 |
The strongest 12 of 128, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gonzales
The Storm Prediction Center has 45 hail reports within 10 miles of Gonzales since 1956, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on December 3, 1962. The most recent report is from March 31, 2025. February has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gonzales
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carville 2 SW, LA, 12 miles west of Gonzales at 25 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 43°F. June is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 62.7 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (33.0 of 62.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 65 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (26); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 72 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 10 nights a year. That 62.7 inches is more than at 53 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (65%). Sorrento, 5 miles southeast, has its own station (Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA): 63.5 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 43 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 4.8 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 67 | 5.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 7.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 6.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 6.0 | 9 |
| Sep | 87 | 71 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 80 | 61 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 70 | 50 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 60 | 62.7 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carville 2 SW, LA (25 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 Gonzales
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gonzales: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 3 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.53 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 11, 2001. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 159 have had fewer than Gonzales.
May 28, 2014: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Gonzales — 1 killed, $200,000 damage.
May 2, 2012: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Gonzales — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
March 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Gonzales — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “The Ascension Parish Emergency Manager reported a tree blown down onto a vehicle near the intersection of Highway 44 and Highway 941. Time of the event was estimated by radar.”
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 Gonzales's ZIP code 70737 have filed 1,899 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $71.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 866 claims (46% of all) and $56.5 million, then Flooding in 1998 with 108 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 with 89. 70% 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, 185 have fewer than Gonzales.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 866 | $56.5 million |
| Flooding1998 | 108 | $894,000 |
| Tropical Storm Allison2001 | 89 | $645,000 |
| Hurricane Isaac2012 | 80 | $1.7 million |
| 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms2021 | 65 | $2.6 million |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 46 | $849,000 |
Ascension Parish, which includes Gonzales, has been named in 58 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 39 of them major disasters (by incident: 29 hurricanes, 14 floods, 4 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Francine, on September 16, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ascension Parish a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate 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 $120.1 million a year, the 9th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $74.2 million (62%), 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 Gonzales
- Sorrento, LA5 mi
- Geismar, LA5 mi
- Prairieville, LA6 mi
- Saint Amant, LA6 mi
- Donaldsonville, LA10 mi
- Saint Gabriel, LA11 mi
- Maurepas, LA12 mi
- White Castle, LA15 mi
- Belle Rose, LA16 mi
- Paulina, LA18 mi
- Baton Rouge, LA18 mi
- Livingston, LA18 mi
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