NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Madisonville, 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
67 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Madisonville, Louisiana since 1851, 20 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 110 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 20
- Tropical storms
- 47
- Tornadoes
- 110
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Madisonville
The strongest storm to pass near Madisonville was Camille in 1969, a Category 4 hurricane with 137 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1915, whose centre came within 3 miles. The record near Madisonville begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 9 miles away. The 1920s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 6 systems each. Of the 67 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Madisonville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 110 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 26, 2011, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on February 6, 1953, killed 2 people. Of the 110, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on October 26, 2025. Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 67% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Madisonville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Madisonville.
Compare Madisonville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Madisonville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 33 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 23 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 70 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 35 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | BillJul 1 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2002 | BerthaAug 5 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 28 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 40 mi | Category 4 (137 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 56 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 1 | overhead | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 34 mi | Category 2 (96 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 73 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 21 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 60 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 3 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 16 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2 | 64 mi | Category 3 (110 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 46 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 26 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 37 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 18 | 68 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 56 mi | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 52 mi | Category 2 (101 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 51 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 49 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Madisonville: 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 Madisonville
By decade
- 2020s24
- 2010s28(1 EF3+)
- 2000s13
- 1990s12
- 1980s9
- 1970s15
- 1960s5
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 1953 | F3 | 17 mi | 15.6 mi | 2 / 21 |
| May 26, 2011 | EF3 | 16 mi | 6.06 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 2 mi | 23.08 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 24, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 21, 1997 | F2 | 4 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 43 |
| Feb 15, 1992 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1977 | F2 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 5, 1977 | F2 | 15 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 20, 1974 | F2 | 12 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1964 | F2 | 5 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 11, 1961 | F2 | 22 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 110, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Madisonville
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Madisonville since 1974, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently October 24, 2010. The most recent report is from September 25, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Madisonville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Covington 4 NNW, LA, 8 miles northeast of Madisonville at 40 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 40°F. June is the wettest at 6.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 62.4 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 51% of the year's precipitation (31.7 of 62.4 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 67 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.1 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 29 nights a year. That 62.4 inches is more than at 51 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (63%). Robert, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Hammond 5 E, LA): 64.4 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 40 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 44 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 55 | 5.3 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 5.3 | 5 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 6.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 6.4 | 10 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 6.0 | 8 |
| Sep | 87 | 68 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 79 | 57 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 70 | 47 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 43 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Year | 77 | 56 | 62.4 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Covington 4 NNW, LA (40 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 Madisonville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Madisonville: 118 thunderstorm wind reports, 48 flash floods, 8 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 4, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 13 of 48. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 200 have had fewer than Madisonville.
June 13, 2007: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Madisonville — 1 killed, 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
August 14, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Madisonville — 1 killed, $1,000 damage.
September 11, 2024: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Madisonville — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain of 5-7��� also fell across the parish with locally higher amounts. Much of this rain fell over the course of just a few hours, resulting in significant flash flooding, especially from Covington through Slidell.”
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 Madisonville's ZIP code 70447 have filed 1,205 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $29.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Katrina in 2005: 370 claims (31% of all) and $5.2 million, then Hurricane Isaac in 2012 with 300 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 with 259. 90% 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, 164 have fewer than Madisonville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina2005 | 370 | $5.2 million |
| Hurricane Isaac2012 | 300 | $9.3 million |
| Hurricane Ida2021 | 259 | $9.1 million |
| Hurricane Ike2008 | 34 | $561,000 |
| Hurricane Gustav2008 | 33 | $745,000 |
| Tropical Storm Isidore2002 | 28 | $261,000 |
St. Tammany Parish, which includes Madisonville, has been named in 50 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 31 of them major disasters (by incident: 29 hurricanes, 7 floods, 4 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Tammany Parish a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes; Relatively High for inland flooding, coastal flooding and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $248.9 million a year, the 4th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $143.2 million (58%), 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.