NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Houma, 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
82 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Houma, Louisiana since 1851, 36 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 71 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 36
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
23 deaths in all
What the records show for Houma
The strongest storm to pass near Houma was an unnamed storm in 1856, a Category 4 hurricane with 147 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1893, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Houma begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 10 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 8 systems, 2 of them at hurricane strength. Of the 82 systems, 17 have come since 2000. Houma has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 95% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The strongest of the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on October 3, 1964; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 22 people. Of the 71, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. November has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on October 26, 2025. Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Houma. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 26 times since 1969, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Houma.
Compare Houma's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Houma
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 10 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 29 | 12 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | overhead | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 28 | 20 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | BarryJul 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 19 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 67 mi | Category 3 (125 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2004 | MatthewOct 10 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2003 | BillJun 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2002 | BerthaAug 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | HermineSep 20 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1997 | DannyJul 18 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 43 mi | Category 4 (130 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 35 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 30 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 50 mi | Category 3 (116 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | DebbieSep 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 6 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 47 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | FlossySep 24 | 72 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 1 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 28 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 32 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 22 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1946 | Unnamed 1946 stormJun 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 10 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 6 | 59 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 27 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 59 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 15 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 22 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 14 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 17 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 20 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 29 | 28 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 20 | 36 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormJul 31 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 14 | 65 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 12 | 48 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2 | 55 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | overhead | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 60 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 19 | 8 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 37 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormAug 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 31 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 18 | 21 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 5 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1868 | Unnamed 1868 stormOct 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 4 | 27 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 41 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 67 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 11 | 49 mi | Category 3 (123 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 10 | 35 mi | Category 4 (147 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 73 mi | Category 3 (127 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Houma: 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 Houma
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s11
- 2000s14
- 1990s18
- 1980s7
- 1970s7
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 1964 | F4 | 21 mi | 1.5 mi | 22 / 165 |
| Mar 21, 1957 | F3 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 10, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 4 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 15, 2000 | F2 | in town | 3 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Sep 12, 1973 | F2 | 23 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 22, 1961 | F2 | 9 mi | 13.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 3, 1960 | F2 | 15 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Oct 26, 2025 | EF1 | 9 mi | 7.46 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 24, 2023 | EF1 | 5 mi | 2.99 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2022 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 2019 | EF1 | 10 mi | 3.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2015 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 71, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Houma
The Storm Prediction Center has 26 hail reports within 10 miles of Houma since 1969, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on February 12, 2008. The most recent report is from March 24, 2025. March has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Houma
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Houma, LA, 7 miles northwest of Houma at 8 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 64°F and 44°F. July is the wettest at 9.1 inches of precipitation on average and April the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 65.6 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 59% of the year's precipitation (38.5 of 65.6 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 82 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (32); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 5.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 76 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 9 nights a year. That 65.6 inches is more than at 72 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (89%). Gray, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Thibodaux 4 SE, LA): 71.3 inches a year, 5.7 more than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 91°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station West Bank 1, Bayou Gauche, LA, 22 miles northeast, averaged 88°F in July and August and 56°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from May to September. Sea level at the New Canal tide gauge, 47 miles from Houma, has risen 2.36 ± 0.19 inches per decade from 1982 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 23.6 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 131 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 44 | 5.6 | 7 | 56 |
| Feb | 67 | 48 | 4.4 | 6 | 61 |
| Mar | 73 | 54 | 4.5 | 5 | 68 |
| Apr | 78 | 60 | 4.0 | 4 | 74 |
| May | 85 | 67 | 4.4 | 5 | 82 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 8.4 | 9 | 87 |
| Jul | 91 | 74 | 9.1 | 12 | 88 |
| Aug | 91 | 75 | 6.5 | 10 | 88 |
| Sep | 89 | 71 | 5.8 | 7 | 84 |
| Oct | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | 5 | 76 |
| Nov | 72 | 52 | 4.4 | 5 | 67 |
| Dec | 66 | 46 | 4.2 | 6 | 61 |
| Year | 79 | 60 | 65.6 | 79 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Houma, LA (8 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station West Bank 1, Bayou Gauche, LA, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Houma
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 86 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Houma: 52 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 5 lightning strikes and 4 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on November 18, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 25. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 168 have had fewer than Houma.
January 2, 1999: thunderstorm wind in Houma — $350,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds tore the roof off the administration building of a vocational- technical high school, damaged the roofs on four other campus buildings, and overturned a delivery truck.”
March 9, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Houma — $325,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds in the Bourg and Dularge areas damaged twelve homes, wrecked a recreational vehicle, caused a car to be crushed by a falling tree, flipped a refrigerator truck, toppled several boats, destroyed several backyard sheds, and knocked down numerous trees.”
June 27, 2022: lightning strike 2 miles from the centre of Houma — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning caused a house fire on Lancaster Drive in Houma. Approximately 50% of the home was damaged by the fire.”
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 Houma's 4 ZIP codes have filed 5,401 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $105.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Ike in 2008: 1,129 claims (21% of all) and $37.3 million, then Hurricane Rita in 2005 with 588 and Tropical Storm Isidore in 2002 with 508. 79% 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, 203 have fewer than Houma.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ike2008 | 1,129 | $37.3 million |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 588 | $18.0 million |
| Tropical Storm Isidore2002 | 508 | $7.4 million |
| Hurricane Andrew1992 | 333 | $4.0 million |
| Hurricane Ida2021 | 311 | $1.9 million |
| Flooding1991 | 309 | $2.9 million |
Terrebonne Parish, which includes Houma, has been named in 53 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 32 of them major disasters (by incident: 31 hurricanes, 8 floods, 5 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Terrebonne Parish a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for tornadoes, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $140.7 million a year, the 8th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $89.3 million (63%), 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).
Houma in the notable storm records: Hurricane Ida (2021) · Hurricane Katrina (2005) · Hurricane Rita (2005)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Houma
- Gray, LA8 mi
- Raceland, LA11 mi
- Schriever, LA11 mi
- Lockport, LA13 mi
- Chauvin, LA15 mi
- Thibodaux, LA15 mi
- Montegut, LA16 mi
- Larose, LA17 mi
- Des Allemands, LA22 mi
- Cut Off, LA23 mi
- Vacherie, LA27 mi
- Galliano, LA27 mi
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