NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lafayette, 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
46 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lafayette, Louisiana since 1851, 17 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 209 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 17
- Tropical storms
- 29
- Tornadoes
- 209
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Lafayette
The strongest storm to pass near Lafayette was an unnamed storm in 1918, a Category 3 hurricane with 121 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Edith in 1971, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Lafayette begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane 44 miles away. Of the 46 systems, 8 have come since 2000. Lafayette has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 209 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 12 times; the most recent, on May 17, 2020, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 7, 1957, killed 4 people. Of the 209, 28 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on June 10, 2025. Lafayette has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 97% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 93 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Lafayette has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
Compare Lafayette's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lafayette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 44 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 10 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 18 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 21 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 17 mi | Category 2 (102 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 2 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 37 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 42 mi | Category 1 (90 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 31 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormSep 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 29 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 6 | 74 mi | Category 3 (121 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 34 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 63 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 65 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 58 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 46 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 10 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lafayette: 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 Lafayette
By decade
- 2020s17(1 EF3+)
- 2010s23
- 2000s42
- 1990s36
- 1980s29(3 EF3+)
- 1970s32(3 EF3+)
- 1960s18(2 EF3+)
- 1950s12(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 9.2 mi | 4 / 10 |
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 31.3 mi | 2 / 52 |
| May 17, 2020 | EF3 | 18 mi | 3.93 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Jan 31, 1983 | F3 | 14 mi | 6 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1977 | F3 | 8 mi | 3.8 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Dec 25, 1969 | F3 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Sep 10, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 5.7 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 18 mi | 37.9 mi | 1 / 29 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | F3 | 16 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 1 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 4, 1952 | F3 | 19 mi | 36.7 mi | 0 / 10 |
The strongest 12 of 209, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lafayette
The Storm Prediction Center has 93 hail reports within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1965, made on 69 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 24, 2015. The most recent report is from July 6, 2025. April has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lafayette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lafayette, LA, 2 miles northwest of Lafayette at 25 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 41°F. June is the wettest at 7.0 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 64.8 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (34.8 of 64.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 46 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 5.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 81 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 18 nights a year. That 64.8 inches is more than at 70 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (86%). Broussard, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Lafayette Regional Airport, LA): 62.9 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and the same August average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 41 | 6.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 45 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 51 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Apr | 78 | 57 | 5.5 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 65 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Jun | 90 | 72 | 7.0 | 9 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 6.3 | 10 |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 6.5 | 8 |
| Sep | 88 | 69 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 81 | 59 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 71 | 49 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 58 | 64.8 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lafayette, 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 Lafayette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 202 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lafayette: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 45 flash floods, 14 lightning strikes, 12 floods and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $1.12 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on January 11, 2020. May has had the most flash floods, 13 of 45. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 198 have had fewer than Lafayette.
May 17, 2021: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Lafayette — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
December 24, 2009: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Lafayette — 1 killed, $25,000 damage.
April 26, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Lafayette — 3 injured, $20,000 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 Lafayette's 5 ZIP codes have filed 3,944 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $180.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 1,494 claims (38% of all) and $134.9 million, then Flooding in 1993 with 705 and 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms in 2021 with 138. 66% 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, 200 have fewer than Lafayette.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 1,494 | $134.9 million |
| Flooding1993 | 705 | $6.5 million |
| 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms2021 | 138 | $5.9 million |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 44 | $573,000 |
| Tropical Storm Allison2001 | 40 | $466,000 |
| Hurricane Lili2002 | 38 | $195,000 |
Lafayette Parish, which includes Lafayette, has been named in 43 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 24 hurricanes, 7 floods, 4 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lafayette Parish a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $189.8 million a year, the 5th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $97.8 million (52%), 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.