NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Greenwood, 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
14 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Greenwood, Louisiana since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 196 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 196
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
35 deaths in all
What the records show for Greenwood
The strongest storm to pass near Greenwood was Laura in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Greenwood begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1940s, with 3 systems. Of the 14 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 80% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Greenwood. The highest rating among the 196 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1999, came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 12, 1950, killed 18 people. Of the 196, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 93 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 52. The most recent tornado was on September 24, 2025. Greenwood has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 95% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 144 times since 1968, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Greenwood has more hail reports within 10 miles than 95% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Greenwood
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 58 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 9 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 6 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Greenwood: 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 Greenwood
By decade
- 2020s33
- 2010s41(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19(1 EF3+)
- 1990s39(1 EF3+)
- 1980s21(4 EF3+)
- 1970s11(3 EF3+)
- 1960s22(2 EF3+)
- 1950s10(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 1950 | F4 | 16 mi | 82.6 mi | 18 / 77 |
| Apr 3, 1999 | F4 | 11 mi | 19.3 mi | 7 / 102 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F4 | 15 mi | 6.2 mi | 2 / 266 |
| Nov 15, 1987 | F3 | 11 mi | 48 mi | 1 / 116 |
| Jan 20, 2010 | EF3 | 5 mi | 15.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 2000 | F3 | 2 mi | 32.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 2, 1984 | F3 | 12 mi | 61 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 16 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 16 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 22, 1972 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F3 | 21 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 11, 1965 | F3 | 12 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 196, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Greenwood
The Storm Prediction Center has 144 hail reports within 10 miles of Greenwood since 1968, made on 113 separate days. Of these, 88 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 23, 2000. The most recent report is from May 6, 2025. April has the most reports, 36.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Greenwood
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Shreveport WFO, LA, 9 miles east of Greenwood at 274 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 56°F and 37°F. April is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 52.9 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 52.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 14 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 92 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 27 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.9 inches is more than at 4 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (5%). Waskom, TX, 6 miles west, has its own station (Marshall, TX): 51.6 inches a year, 1.3 less than here, and an August average high of 94°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 37 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 60 | 41 | 4.5 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 68 | 47 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 75 | 54 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 73 | 3.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 67 | 4.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 55 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 45 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 39 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 75 | 55 | 52.9 | 65 | 1.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Shreveport WFO, LA (274 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 Greenwood
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 191 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Greenwood: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 55 flash floods, 5 floods and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $12.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on April 12, 2020. May has had the most flash floods, 14 of 55. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 205 have had fewer than Greenwood.
July 4, 2011: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Greenwood — 2 killed, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “A lightning strike touched off a fire that killed an elderly couple at their home in Greenwood, Louisiana. Killed in the fire was Ralph Elliott, 83 and his wife Mary, 83.”
July 16, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Greenwood — 1 injured.
NWS: “A tree fell across Highway 169 just north of Blanchard-Furrh Road near the Longwood community, crushing a car with the female driver suffering serious injuries.”
May 14, 2008: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Greenwood — $7.0 million damage.
NWS: “Excessive heavy rainfall which began during the late night hours of May 13th continued throughout the day of May 14th. additional roadways were flooded throughout the city and had to be closed.”
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 Greenwood's ZIP code 71033 have filed 44 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $1.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2009, with 12. 30% 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, 36 have fewer than Greenwood.
Caddo Parish, which includes Greenwood, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 hurricanes, 4 floods, 3 ice storms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Caddo Parish a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively High for hail and heat waves; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $88.8 million a year, the 11th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $34.7 million (39%), 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 Greenwood
- Waskom, TX6 mi
- Keithville, LA12 mi
- Shreveport, LA13 mi
- Mooringsport, LA16 mi
- De Berry, TX16 mi
- Stonewall, LA17 mi
- Karnack, TX18 mi
- Bossier City, LA18 mi
- Marshall, TX21 mi
- Barksdale Afb, LA22 mi
- Benton, LA24 mi
- Grand Cane, LA27 mi
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