NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake Arthur, 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
54 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake Arthur, Louisiana since 1851, 18 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 130 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 18
- Tropical storms
- 36
- Tornadoes
- 130
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Lake Arthur
The strongest storm to pass near Lake Arthur was Laura in 2020, a Category 4 hurricane with 139 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Danny in 1985, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Lake Arthur begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane 10 miles away. The 1970s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 54 systems, 12 have come since 2000. Lake Arthur has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 130 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 21, 1992, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on October 29, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 130, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 64 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2024. Lake Arthur has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 4 times since 1996, with stones up to 1 inch (quarter size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lake Arthur.
Compare Lake Arthur's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake Arthur
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 10 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 34 mi | Category 4 (139 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 13 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | HarveyAug 30 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | LeeSep 4 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 47 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | EdouardAug 5 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2007 | HumbertoSep 13 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 64 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 23 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 3 | 24 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 61 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | JuanOct 30 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 15 | 3 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1982 | ChrisSep 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1980 | DanielleSep 5 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | ClaudetteJul 24 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1978 | DebraAug 29 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 18 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1973 | Unnamed 1973 stormSep 12 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 22 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 75 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | BerthaAug 10 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 27 | 53 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1954 | BarbaraJul 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1943 | Unnamed 1943 stormSep 20 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormSep 24 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1940 | Unnamed 1940 stormAug 7 | 54 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1938 | Unnamed 1938 stormAug 15 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 66 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 6 | 34 mi | Category 3 (120 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1908 | Unnamed 1908 stormAug 1 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1897 | Unnamed 1897 stormSep 13 | 43 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 12 | 50 mi | Category 3 (112 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 14 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1882 | Unnamed 1882 stormSep 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1875 | Unnamed 1875 stormSep 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1867 | Unnamed 1867 stormOct 4 | 69 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 13 | 43 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormSep 30 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake Arthur: 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 Lake Arthur
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s28
- 2000s27
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s13
- 1970s16(1 EF3+)
- 1960s13
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 1974 | F3 | 3 mi | 31.3 mi | 2 / 52 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 4, 1952 | F3 | 9 mi | 36.7 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Aug 29, 2017 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 2012 | EF2 | 14 mi | 4.16 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 24, 2009 | EF2 | 14 mi | 5.58 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 24, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.64 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 2, 1999 | F2 | 17 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 1999 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 4, 1992 | F2 | 23 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 11, 1982 | F2 | 10 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 8, 1977 | F2 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 130, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake Arthur
The Storm Prediction Center has 4 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake Arthur since 1996. Of these, one was 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1 inch (quarter size), fell on March 6, 1998. The most recent report is from June 4, 2007.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lake Arthur
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lake Arthur 7 SW, LA, 5 miles southwest of Lake Arthur at 11 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 44°F. June is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 60.1 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 55% of the year's precipitation (33.0 of 60.1 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 54 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 5.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 10 nights a year. That 60.1 inches is more than at 37 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (46%). Jennings, 12 miles north, has its own station (Jennings, LA): 63.6 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 44 | 5.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 53 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Apr | 78 | 60 | 4.8 | 4 |
| May | 84 | 68 | 4.6 | 4 |
| Jun | 90 | 73 | 6.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Aug | 92 | 74 | 6.1 | 9 |
| Sep | 89 | 70 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Oct | 81 | 61 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 71 | 51 | 5.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 63 | 45 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 60 | 60.1 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lake Arthur 7 SW, LA (11 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 Lake Arthur
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 27 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake Arthur: 19 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $685,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 107 mph, on April 4, 2019.
May 10, 2013: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Lake Arthur — 1 killed.
NWS: “Two men were fishing in the Lacassine Wildlife Refuge when a storm approached from the east. The two tried to out run the storm in a boat but one was struck by lightning.”
August 13, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lake Arthur — $250,000 damage.
June 29, 2007: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Lake Arthur — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning caused a house fire. Two people were inside asleep, but woke up and escaped with no injuries.”
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 Lake Arthur's ZIP code 70549 have filed 94 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 38 claims (40% of all) and $917,000, then Hurricane Rita in 2005 with 13. 71% 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, 74 have fewer than Lake Arthur.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 38 | $917,000 |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 13 | $101,000 |
Jefferson Davis Parish, which includes Lake Arthur, has been named in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 25 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 coastal storms, 3 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Ida, on August 29, 2021. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jefferson Davis Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and tornadoes; Relatively Low 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 $27.7 million a year, the 27th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.4 million (37%), 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).
Lake Arthur in the notable storm records: Hurricane Rita (2005)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Lake Arthur
- Jennings, LA12 mi
- Gueydan, LA12 mi
- Welsh, LA13 mi
- Morse, LA13 mi
- Bell City, LA18 mi
- Iowa, LA20 mi
- Iota, LA22 mi
- Crowley, LA23 mi
- Kaplan, LA25 mi
- Elton, LA27 mi
- Basile, LA28 mi
- Rayne, LA30 mi
All Louisiana cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Lake Arthur with another place →