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Louisiana · County tornado history

Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 51 tornadoes in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 20 of 64 counties in Louisiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 2, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
51
Since 2000
21
Strongest
F3, October 29, 1974
Most recent
EF-U, May 2, 2024
Peak month
April (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
78
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Jefferson Davis Parish

April has brought the most, 10 of 51. About 41% touched down between 11 am and 5 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 22
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 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 Jefferson Davis Parish

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 29, 1974 F3 31.3 mi 200 yd 2 52
April 4, 1952 F3 36.7 mi 100 yd 10
April 29, 1960 F2 13.8 mi 1,667 yd 4
May 8, 1975 F2 1 mi 100 yd 2
March 31, 1957 F2 10.6 mi 267 yd
February 10, 1966 F2 0.2 mi 33 yd
May 11, 1971 F2 0.3 mi 50 yd
March 24, 1976 F2 0.5 mi 27 yd
September 11, 1982 F2 1 mi 150 yd
October 22, 2009 EF1 16.2 mi 800 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Jefferson Davis Parish was an F3 on October 29, 1974. It killed 2 people and injured 52 along its 31.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 2, 2024 EF-U 0 mi 1 yd
April 10, 2024 EF1 6.6 mi 100 yd
May 17, 2021 EF0 0.2 mi 10 yd
May 17, 2021 EF0 0 mi 10 yd
June 19, 2019 EF0 0 mi 10 yd
June 6, 2019 EF1 0.8 mi 100 yd
June 6, 2019 EF1 0.5 mi 311 yd
June 5, 2019 EF1 1.6 mi 100 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 Jefferson Davis Parish as relatively moderate, with a score of 76 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.59 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,688,540 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 Jefferson Davis Parish had?

51 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 21 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Jefferson Davis Parish?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 2, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Jefferson Davis Parish?

An F3 on October 29, 1974, with a 31.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Jefferson Davis 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.