NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ringgold, 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
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ringgold, Louisiana since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 138 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 138
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Ringgold
The strongest storm to pass near Ringgold was Laura in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Ringgold begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020. The busiest decade was the 2010s, with 3 systems. Of the 16 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 80% have more hurricanes within 75 miles than Ringgold. The strongest of the 138 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on February 12, 1950; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 138, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 49. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2025. Ringgold has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Ringgold has more hail reports within 10 miles than 81% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
Compare Ringgold's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ringgold
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 18 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2017 | CindyJun 22 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2008 | GustavSep 2 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 24 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ringgold: 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 Ringgold
By decade
- 2020s29
- 2010s18
- 2000s22(2 EF3+)
- 1990s21(1 EF3+)
- 1980s16(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s10(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 1950 | F4 | 22 mi | 82.6 mi | 18 / 77 |
| Feb 12, 1950 | F3 | 7 mi | 74.5 mi | 5 / 25 |
| Jan 22, 1957 | F3 | 23 mi | 1.7 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F3 | 12 mi | 60 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Apr 23, 2000 | F3 | 24 mi | 19.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 2000 | F3 | 6 mi | 32.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 3, 1992 | F3 | 17 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1984 | F3 | 3 mi | 61 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F3 | 17 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 11, 1965 | F3 | 24 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 10, 1952 | F3 | 11 mi | 50.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 138, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ringgold
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Ringgold since 1962, made on 59 separate days. Of these, 56 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 15, 2023. The most recent report is from May 9, 2024. April has the most reports, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ringgold
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ashland, LA, 17 miles southeast of Ringgold at 240 feet. July and August are the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 34°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 56.8 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (24.5 of 56.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 51 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 56.8 inches is more than at 14 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (17%). Heflin, 9 miles north, has its own station (Minden, LA): 57.7 inches a year, 0.9 more than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 34 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 5.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 63 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 78 | 52 | 4.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 68 | 42 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 6.2 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 76 | 52 | 56.8 | 70 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ashland, LA (240 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 Ringgold
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 107 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ringgold: 91 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods and 3 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on April 22, 1997. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 104 have had fewer than Ringgold.
February 10, 1998: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Ringgold — 2 injured, $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous reports of trees and powerlines were felled. School buses were trapped on the highways during the storm when the roads were blocked from fallen trees.”
April 26, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Ringgold — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were downed onto homes and cars in the Ringgold community.”
March 24, 2017: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Ringgold — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “The Ringgold Assembly of God Church had its roof lifted by straight line winds. As the roof came back down, it crushed the un-reinforced cinderblock walls near the front of the structure, which then partially collapsed.”
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
Bienville Parish, which includes Ringgold, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 4 floods, 3 ice storms, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 18, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bienville Parish a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.7 million a year, the 56th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.8 million (31%), is from inland flooding.
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.