NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ruston, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ruston, Louisiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 126 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 126
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Ruston
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ruston; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1909, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 62 miles away. The record near Ruston begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a tropical storm 63 miles away. Of the 17 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 245 Louisiana cities on this site, 85% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ruston. The highest rating among the 126 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 11 times; the most recent, on December 13, 2022, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on September 12, 1961, killed 5 people. Of the 126, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 57 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 40. The most recent tornado was on December 26, 2024. Ruston has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 51% of the 245 Louisiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 116 times since 1959, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Ruston has more hail reports within 10 miles than 92% of the 245 Louisiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ruston
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | BarryJul 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 4 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 21 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ruston: 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 Ruston
By decade
- 2020s14(1 EF3+)
- 2010s24(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s12(3 EF3+)
- 1980s22(3 EF3+)
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s16(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 1961 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 5 / 37 |
| Feb 12, 1950 | F3 | 22 mi | 74.5 mi | 5 / 25 |
| Apr 25, 2019 | EF3 | in town | 11.15 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F3 | 22 mi | 60 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF3 | 20 mi | 9.06 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 3, 1999 | F3 | 24 mi | 14.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1999 | F3 | 22 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 3, 1992 | F3 | 15 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1984 | F3 | 21 mi | 61 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Nov 19, 1983 | F3 | 21 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 19 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 18 mi | 31.79 mi | 3 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 126, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ruston
The Storm Prediction Center has 116 hail reports within 10 miles of Ruston since 1959, made on 87 separate days. Of these, 73 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 11, 1986. The most recent report is from September 17, 2025. March has the most reports, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ruston
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ruston La Tech, LA, 1 mile south of Ruston at 295 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 35°F. January is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 55.8 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (24.2 of 55.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 85 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 46 nights a year. That 55.8 inches is more than at 11 of the 81 Louisiana stations used on this site (14%). Choudrant, 9 miles east, has its own station (Calhoun Rsch Stn, LA): 57.7 inches a year, 1.9 more than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 35 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 5.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 5.4 | 6 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 5.5 | 5 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 58 | 38 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Year | 76 | 54 | 55.8 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ruston La Tech, LA (295 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 Ruston
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 141 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ruston: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 flood. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on April 22, 1997. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 16. Of the 239 Louisiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 126 have had fewer than Ruston.
May 18, 2015: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Ruston — 1 killed, 2 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “High and swift water across Little River Road north of Ruston, Louisiana swept a vehicle off the roadway into Colvin Creek. The vehicle was occupied by an adult and 2 children.”
March 8, 2016: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Ruston — $560,000 damage.
February 10, 1998: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Ruston — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds toppled numerous trees and powerlines. Forty nine roads were closed from fallen trees.”
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 Ruston's ZIP code 71270 have filed 28 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $262,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 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, 23 have fewer than Ruston.
Lincoln Parish, which includes Ruston, has been named in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 18, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lincoln Parish a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.7 million a year, the 35th highest of 64 Louisiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.2 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.
Cities near Ruston
- Grambling, LA4 mi
- Choudrant, LA9 mi
- Simsboro, LA9 mi
- Dubach, LA11 mi
- Quitman, LA13 mi
- Arcadia, LA16 mi
- Calhoun, LA17 mi
- Downsville, LA19 mi
- Eros, LA19 mi
- Jonesboro, LA21 mi
- Bernice, LA21 mi
- Farmerville, LA23 mi
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