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Louisiana · County tornado history

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 63 tornadoes in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.2 years. That ranks it 12 of 64 counties in Louisiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on September 2, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
63
Since 2000
33
Strongest
EF3, March 22, 2022
Most recent
EF0, September 2, 2023
Peak month
May (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
111
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 Parish

May has brought the most, 10 of 63. About 37% touched down between 9 am and 3 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 25% 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) 29
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 21
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Parish

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 22, 2022 EF3 11.5 mi 320 yd 1 2
April 8, 1993 F2 6 mi 250 yd 3 39
March 10, 1971 F2 7.5 mi 300 yd 1 7
February 13, 2007 EF2 8.7 mi 50 yd 24
December 14, 2022 EF2 10.6 mi 200 yd 10
October 3, 1964 F2 14.2 mi 83 yd 5
April 22, 1983 F2 2 mi 100 yd 3
March 16, 1972 F2 0.5 mi 67 yd 2
September 27, 1951 F2 1 mi 20 yd
October 13, 1970 F2 1 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 Jefferson Parish was an F2 on April 8, 1993. It killed 3 people and injured 39 along its 6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
September 2, 2023 EF0 0.7 mi 75 yd
January 24, 2023 EF-U 2.9 mi 100 yd
December 14, 2022 EF2 10.6 mi 200 yd 10
March 22, 2022 EF3 11.5 mi 320 yd 1 2
May 18, 2021 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
April 7, 2019 EF0 2.6 mi 50 yd
May 12, 2017 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
February 7, 2017 EF0 0.9 mi 25 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 Parish as relatively moderate, with a score of 72 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.36 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,273,818 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 Parish had?

63 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 33 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Jefferson Parish?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on September 2, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Jefferson Parish?

An EF3 on March 22, 2022, with a 11.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Jefferson Parish?

May 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.