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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Napoleonville, 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

69 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Napoleonville, Louisiana since 1851, 30 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
30

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
39

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
91

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

3 deaths in all

What the records show for Napoleonville

The strongest storm to pass near Napoleonville was an unnamed storm in 1856, a Category 4 hurricane with 132 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1926, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Napoleonville begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a Category 1 hurricane 17 miles away. The 1930s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 7 systems each. Of the 69 systems, 16 have come since 2000. Napoleonville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 85% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on February 23, 2016, came within 6 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on February 23, 2016, killed 2 people. Of the 91, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on October 26, 2025. Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 83% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Napoleonville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 11 times since 1977, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 245 Louisiana cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Napoleonville.

Compare Napoleonville's storm record with another city →

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Napoleonville

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Napoleonville, Louisiana, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2024FrancineSep 1217 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 2
2021IdaAug 3024 miCategory 3 (114 mph)Category 4
2021ClaudetteJun 1927 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
2020ZetaOct 2847 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 3
2020CristobalJun 849 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
2019OlgaOct 2616 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
2019BarryJul 1368 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 1
2012IsaacAug 293 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 1
2011LeeSep 537 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
2008GustavSep 122 miCategory 2 (99 mph)Category 4
2005CindyJul 665 miTropical storm (58 mph)Category 1
2004MatthewOct 1049 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
2003BillJun 3022 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
2002LiliOct 374 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 4
2002IsidoreSep 2661 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 3
2001AllisonJun 1132 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1998HermineSep 2050 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1992AndrewAug 2634 miCategory 2 (108 mph)Category 5
1988FlorenceSep 1050 miTropical storm (45 mph)Category 1
1988BerylAug 914 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1985JuanOct 2926 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1979BobJul 1135 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1977BabeSep 525 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1974CarmenSep 849 miCategory 3 (115 mph)Category 4
1971EdithSep 1653 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 4
1965DebbieSep 2975 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1965BetsySep 105 miCategory 2 (98 mph)Category 4
1964HildaOct 422 miCategory 1 (89 mph)Category 4
1959ArleneMay 3131 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1957EstherSep 1814 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1956Unnamed 1956 stormJun 1325 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1955Unnamed 1955 stormAug 2724 miTropical storm (47 mph)Tropical storm
1955BrendaAug 259 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1949Unnamed 1949 stormSep 418 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1948Unnamed 1948 stormSep 454 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1947Unnamed 1947 stormSep 1920 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 4
1947Unnamed 1947 stormAug 2238 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1943Unnamed 1943 stormSep 2069 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1939Unnamed 1939 stormSep 2671 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1937Unnamed 1937 stormOct 359 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1936Unnamed 1936 stormJul 2749 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1934Unnamed 1934 stormJun 1635 miCategory 1 (90 mph)Category 2
1932Unnamed 1932 stormOct 1533 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1932Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1946 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1931Unnamed 1931 stormJul 159 miTropical storm (49 mph)Tropical storm
1926Unnamed 1926 stormSep 2243 miTropical storm (41 mph)Category 4
1926Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26overheadCategory 1 (79 mph)Category 3
1923Unnamed 1923 stormOct 161 miCategory 1 (74 mph)Category 1
1920Unnamed 1920 stormSep 2213 miCategory 1 (83 mph)Category 2
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 2948 miCategory 1 (91 mph)Category 4
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJun 1316 miTropical storm (61 mph)Tropical storm
1909Unnamed 1909 stormSep 2122 miCategory 2 (109 mph)Category 3
1908Unnamed 1908 stormJul 3159 miTropical storm (58 mph)Tropical storm
1905Unnamed 1905 stormOct 92 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1905Unnamed 1905 stormSep 2966 miTropical storm (41 mph)Tropical storm
1897Unnamed 1897 stormSep 1263 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 1
1893Unnamed 1893 stormSep 729 miCategory 1 (85 mph)Category 2
1892Unnamed 1892 stormSep 1255 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1890Unnamed 1890 stormAug 2717 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
1888Unnamed 1888 stormAug 207 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 1965 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1879Unnamed 1879 stormSep 14 miCategory 2 (102 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 1848 miCategory 1 (81 mph)Category 1
1869Unnamed 1869 stormSep 531 miTropical storm (47 mph)Category 1
1867Unnamed 1867 stormOct 449 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 2
1863Unnamed 1863 stormOct 129 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1860Unnamed 1860 stormOct 218 miCategory 2 (97 mph)Category 2
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 1174 miCategory 3 (119 mph)Category 3
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 1036 miCategory 4 (132 mph)Category 4

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Napoleonville: 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 Napoleonville

By decade

  • 2020s6
  • 2010s24(1 EF3+)
  • 2000s17
  • 1990s13
  • 1980s5
  • 1970s11(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s11(2 EF3+)
  • 1950s4
Strongest tornadoes near Napoleonville, Louisiana
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Feb 23, 2016EF36 mi7.78 mi0 / 0
Mar 17, 1970F322 mi1 mi0 / 2
Dec 25, 1969F319 mi13.5 mi0 / 1
Apr 12, 1969F321 mi10.7 mi0 / 1
Feb 23, 2016EF29 mi12.95 mi2 / 75
Jun 6, 2019EF222 mi2.62 mi0 / 5
Feb 15, 1987F211 mi3 mi0 / 4
Jan 30, 1982F25 mi3 mi0 / 1
Jan 25, 1976F213 mi1.1 mi0 / 7
Jan 19, 1974F22 mi0.3 mi0 / 0
Sep 12, 1973F26 mi6.2 mi0 / 3
May 12, 1972F225 mi1 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

Hail in Napoleonville

The Storm Prediction Center has 11 hail reports within 10 miles of Napoleonville since 1977, made on 10 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on June 20, 2023. The most recent report is from December 1, 2023. March has the most reports, 4.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.

Weather by month in Napoleonville

The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA, 11 miles north of Napoleonville at 30 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 42°F. June is the wettest at 7.0 inches of precipitation on average and March the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 63.5 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (34.2 of 63.5 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 69 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (29); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 5.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 80 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 16 nights a year. That 63.5 inches is more than at 57 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (70%). Thibodaux, 15 miles southeast, has its own station (Thibodaux 4 SE, LA): 71.3 inches a year, 7.8 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.

Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Berwick, Atchafalaya River, LA, 22 miles southwest, averaged 87°F in August and 49°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September.

Monthly climate normals 1991–2020 at Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. inDays ≥ 0.1"Water °F
Jan62425.8749
Feb66454.1650
Mar72514.0557
Apr78574.9566
May85655.6674
Jun89727.0982
Jul91746.51087
Aug91736.4987
Sep88695.4684
Oct80594.7577
Nov71494.2565
Dec64444.9655
Year785863.58069

Averages for 1991–2020 at Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA (30 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Berwick, Atchafalaya River, 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.

Louisiana weather by month, station by station →

Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Napoleonville

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 24 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Napoleonville: 20 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 27, 2003.

  • September 22, 2011: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Napoleonville — $1.0 million damage.

  • November 27, 2003: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Napoleonville — $500,000 damage.

    NWS: “Thunderstorm winds heavily damaged three businesses and caused substantial damage to about twenty seven houses and a sheriff's office motor pool. The winds also knocked down numerous trees and power lines.”

  • May 19, 2016: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Napoleonville — $100,000 damage.

    NWS: “A line of thunderstorms tracked southwest to northeast along Louisiana Highway 401 producing a downburst. The storm survey found evidence of widespread straight line wind damage near 70 mph with isolated damage indicative of winds up to 100 mph.”

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 Napoleonville's ZIP code 70390 have filed 104 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $525,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1980: 37 claims (36% of all) and $145,000. 46% 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, 79 have fewer than Napoleonville.

Flood insurance claims in Napoleonville by named event
EventClaimsPaid
Flooding198037$145,000

Assumption Parish, which includes Napoleonville, has been named in 49 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 30 of them major disasters (by incident: 29 hurricanes, 9 floods, 4 coastal storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Hurricane Francine, on September 16, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Assumption Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and coastal flooding; Relatively Low for strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.2 million a year, the 32nd highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.7 million (53%), 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.

Cities near Napoleonville