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Tornado in Rapides Parish, Louisiana
84 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Rapides Parish, Louisiana, has 84 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 42 different years.
December is the busiest month, with 18 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 45 events against 15 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 3% of the 2,801 tornado events recorded in Louisiana; its 6.4 per 100 square miles compares with 6.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 5 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 20 at (E)F0, 40 at (E)F1, 17 at (E)F2, 5 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Louisiana
| Measure | Rapides Parish | Louisiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 84 | 2,801 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.4 | 6.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 6.5 | 6.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 5 | 180 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | December | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
10Feb
4Mar
7Apr
13May
3Jun
8Jul
2Aug
1Sep
2Oct
9Nov
7Dec
18
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 84 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Feb 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Dec 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Dec 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Nov 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Dec 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.0M | — | 1 | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Dec 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Dec 2019 | Tornado | EF3 | $22M | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF2 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2018 | Tornado | EF2 | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Dec 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Oct 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Dec 2012 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 25 Dec 2012 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jan 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | — | $10K | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Dec 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Dec 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2002 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Oct 2002 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F2 | $1.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 Sep 1998 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F0 | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jan 1995 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Nov 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1991 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Feb 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Feb 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1988 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1987 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Dec 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Dec 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $30 | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 10 | County |
| 5 Jun 1981 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1975 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 18 Aug 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 22 Jun 1971 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 1968 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1965 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Dec 1964 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 1957 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Nov 1957 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | 3 | 16 | County |
| 23 Oct 1957 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 3 Dec 1953 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | — | 10 | County |
| 3 Dec 1953 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jan 1951 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 11 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Rapides Parish had?
84 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Rapides Parish?
14 Feb 2026 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Rapides Parish?
The tornado of 16 Dec 2019, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $22M.
How does Rapides Parish compare with Louisiana for tornado?
6.4 events per 100 square miles against 6.5 statewide; the county holds 84 of the state's 2,801 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.