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Louisiana · County tornado history

East Carroll Parish, Louisiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 34 tornadoes in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.2 years. That ranks it 35 of 64 counties in Louisiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on December 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
34
Since 2000
7
Strongest
F5, February 21, 1971
Most recent
EF1, December 28, 2024
Peak month
April (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
77
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit East Carroll Parish

April has brought the most, 10 of 34. About 59% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 21% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 16
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in East Carroll Parish

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 21, 1971 F5 109.2 mi 500 yd 47 510
May 17, 1953 F3 41.6 mi 100 yd 17
April 1, 1983 F3 4 mi 150 yd
May 7, 1984 F3 1 mi 100 yd
March 22, 1953 F2 234.7 mi 200 yd 2 22
January 9, 1975 F2 18 mi 50 yd 6
November 19, 1991 F2 0.7 mi 100 yd 6
September 5, 1973 F2 27.8 mi 100 yd 4
May 2, 1984 F2 7 mi 150 yd 4
February 26, 1958 F2 5.7 mi 50 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch East Carroll Parish was an F5 on February 21, 1971. It killed 47 people and injured 510 along its 109.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 28, 2024 EF1 17.9 mi 300 yd
December 28, 2024 EF1 16.2 mi 280 yd
April 12, 2020 EF0 1.2 mi 170 yd
April 18, 2013 EF1 2.9 mi 75 yd
April 26, 2011 EF2 11 mi 880 yd
June 18, 2007 EF1 1.8 mi 400 yd
September 24, 2005 F0 1 mi 50 yd
January 8, 1999 F0 1 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in East Carroll Parish as relatively low, with a score of 63 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.45 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,160,280 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has East Carroll Parish had?

34 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 7 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in East Carroll Parish?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on December 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in East Carroll Parish?

An F5 on February 21, 1971, with a 109.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in East Carroll Parish?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.