NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Prairieville, 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
61 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Prairieville, Louisiana since 1851, 17 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 130 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 17
- Tropical storms
- 44
- Tornadoes
- 130
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Prairieville
The strongest storm to pass near Prairieville was Carmen in 1974, a Category 3 hurricane with 116 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1888, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Prairieville begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 27 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 6 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 61 systems, 13 have come since 2000. Prairieville has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 60% of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 130 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on February 23, 2016, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on February 23, 2016, killed 2 people. Of the 130, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 72 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on October 26, 2025. Prairieville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1956, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Prairieville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
Compare Prairieville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Prairieville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 13 mi | Category 1 (91 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 28 | 57 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | GustavSep 1 | 44 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | BillJun 30 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 26 | 44 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 9 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1977 | BabeSep 5 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1974 | CarmenSep 8 | 71 mi | Category 3 (116 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 17 mi | Category 1 (92 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 5 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1959 | ArleneMay 31 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | EstherSep 18 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 13 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 2 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 4 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 6 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormAug 22 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1937 | Unnamed 1937 stormOct 3 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 16 | 32 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1931 | Unnamed 1931 stormJul 15 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 22 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormAug 26 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 30 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 46 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 13 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 31 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormOct 9 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 7 | 39 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | overhead | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 1 | 2 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 18 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1869 | Unnamed 1869 stormSep 6 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 2 | 15 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Prairieville: 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 Prairieville
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s42(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15
- 1970s13(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 1992 | F3 | 23 mi | 9 mi | 2 / 32 |
| Feb 6, 1953 | F3 | 18 mi | 15.6 mi | 2 / 21 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF3 | 19 mi | 7.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | F3 | 16 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F3 | 11 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 25, 1969 | F3 | 15 mi | 13.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 1969 | F3 | 8 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 23, 2016 | EF2 | 16 mi | 12.95 mi | 2 / 75 |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Jun 6, 2019 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.62 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 7, 2017 | EF2 | 21 mi | 23.08 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 130, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Prairieville
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Prairieville since 1956, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 49 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on December 3, 1962. The most recent report is from June 10, 2025. February has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Prairieville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carville 2 SW, LA, 14 miles southwest of Prairieville at 25 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 43°F. June is the wettest at 7.1 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 4.1 inches; the year adds up to 62.7 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (33.0 of 62.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 61 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (25); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 4.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 72 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 10 nights a year. That 62.7 inches is more than at 53 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (65%). Saint Amant, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Donaldsonville 4 SW, LA): 63.5 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 43 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 47 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 72 | 52 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 78 | 59 | 4.8 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 67 | 5.6 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 73 | 7.1 | 9 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 6.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 6.0 | 9 |
| Sep | 87 | 71 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Oct | 80 | 61 | 5.0 | 5 |
| Nov | 70 | 50 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 45 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Year | 78 | 60 | 62.7 | 79 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carville 2 SW, 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 Prairieville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 159 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Prairieville: 111 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 flash floods, 7 lightning strikes, 3 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.54 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on April 10, 2021. May has had the most flash floods, 15 of 37. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 193 have had fewer than Prairieville.
May 28, 2014: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Prairieville — 1 killed, $200,000 damage.
May 2, 2012: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Prairieville — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “A local television station reported a house fire sparked by lightning on Hoo Shoo Too Road. One firefighter was injured while fighting the blaze.”
March 5, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Prairieville — 1 injured, $5,000 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 Prairieville's ZIP code 70769 have filed 2,600 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $123.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-summer severe storms in 2016: 1,306 claims (50% of all) and $103.2 million, then Flooding in 1983 with 356 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 with 187. 81% 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, 196 have fewer than Prairieville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-summer severe storms2016 | 1,306 | $103.2 million |
| Flooding1983 | 356 | $3.6 million |
| Tropical Storm Allison2001 | 187 | $2.7 million |
| 2021 Mid-Spring Severe Storms2021 | 88 | $5.9 million |
| Hurricane Rita2005 | 56 | $1.2 million |
| Hurricane Gustav2008 | 26 | $96,000 |
Ascension Parish, which includes Prairieville, has been named in 58 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 39 of them major disasters (by incident: 29 hurricanes, 14 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 Ascension Parish a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hurricanes, tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate 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 $120.1 million a year, the 9th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $74.2 million (62%), 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 Prairieville
- Gonzales, LA6 mi
- Geismar, LA8 mi
- Saint Gabriel, LA10 mi
- Saint Amant, LA10 mi
- Sorrento, LA10 mi
- Baton Rouge, LA13 mi
- Maurepas, LA13 mi
- Denham Springs, LA13 mi
- Livingston, LA15 mi
- Donaldsonville, LA15 mi
- Walker, LA16 mi
- White Castle, LA17 mi
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