NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ponchatoula, LA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
67 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ponchatoula, Louisiana since 1851, 21 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 21
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ponchatoula
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 19 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 28 | 35 mi | Category 2 (98 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 72 mi | Category 2 (99 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 49 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | BillJun 30 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2002 | BerthaAug 5 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1994 | JohnSep 8 | 66 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | overhead | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 35 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 52 mi | Category 4 (132 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 46 mi | Category 2 (97 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 1 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 28 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 22 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 28 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 60 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 21 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 48 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 61 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 63 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 33 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 24 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 18 | 72 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 42 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 65 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 61 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 63 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 Ponchatoula: 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 Ponchatoula
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s28
- 2000s15
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s19(1 EF3+)
- 1970s18
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 6, 1983 | F4 | 24 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Aug 25, 1992 | F3 | 24 mi | 9 mi | 2 / 32 |
| Feb 6, 1953 | F3 | 7 mi | 15.6 mi | 2 / 21 |
| Apr 12, 1969 | F3 | 22 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 15, 2006 | F2 | 23 mi | 6.02 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 5 mi | 23.08 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 23 mi | 4.69 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2014 | EF2 | 21 mi | 4.62 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 21, 1997 | F2 | 12 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 43 |
| Feb 15, 1992 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Nov 29, 1977 | F2 | 10 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
How to read this page
A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Ponchatoula while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.
Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.
Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.