Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22013 · population 12,958 · 811 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 673 records for Bienville Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 482 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (262 records). The deadliest single record is the March 9, 2016 flash flood: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1977, 33 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on February 18, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 673on 482 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 210 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $140Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 44strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Bienville Parish most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 262 since 1959. The rank column places the county among Louisiana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 262 | 177 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 3 | $2.7M | 30 of 64 |
| Hail | 146 | 106 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 64 |
| Heat | 90 | 88 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 64 |
| Drought | 49 | 49 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 64 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 37 | 1950-2024 | 0 | 4 | $132M | 37 of 64 |
| Floods | 37 | 28 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 2 | $2.2M | 43 of 64 |
| Winter storms | 26 | 25 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | $1.8M | 20 of 64 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 26 of 64 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $617K | 57 of 64 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2008-2013 | 0 | 1 | $117K | 42 of 64 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 1998-2008 | 0 | 0 | $96K | 47 of 64 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $218K | 4 of 64 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 64 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Bienville Parish had?
NOAA records 44 tornadoes in Bienville Parish from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 46 tornadoes whose track touched Bienville Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 44: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 0 of them in Bienville Parish.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-02-12 14:00, as SPC files it | Zwolle to Mount Lebanon | F3 | 74.5 mi | 5 |
| 1992-11-03 15:32, as SPC files it | Mount Lebanon to Arcadia | F3 | 7 mi | 0 |
| 1984-05-02 18:40, as SPC files it | Stonewall to Bienville | F3 | 61 mi | 0 |
| 1952-03-10 08:30, as SPC files it | Minden | F3 | 50.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.
Every tornado record filed for Bienville Parish (44)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-08 | Brice, Bienville Parish | EF1 3.31 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-04-15 | Ringgold, Bienville Parish | EF1 2.24 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2023-03-03 | Fryeburg, Bienville Parish | EF0 2.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2022-04-12 | Woodardville, Bienville Parish | EF1 11.46 mi x 525 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2022-03-30 | Danville, Bienville Parish | EF1 1.74 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-11-11 | Giddens, Bienville Parish | EF0 1.17 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2021-04-07 | Giddens, Bienville Parish | EF1 4.07 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-12 | Arcadia, Bienville Parish | EF1 0.77 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
| 2020-04-12 | Guynes, Bienville Parish | EF1 1.62 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-04-25 | Walsh, Bienville Parish | EF1 1.03 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2019-04-25 | Lucky, Bienville Parish | EF1 2.52 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2018-11-05 | Sparta, Bienville Parish | EF1 4.12 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-04-14 | Bear Creek, Bienville Parish | EF2 5.38 mi x 210 yd | 0 | 0 | $147K |
| 2013-04-27 | Sparta, Bienville Parish | EF1 2.29 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | Union, Bienville Parish | EF1 5.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-10-29 | Giddens, Bienville Parish | EF0 0.47 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-10-01 | Guynes, Bienville Parish | EF0 3.29 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2009-05-03 | Cox Crossing, Bienville Parish | EF0 1.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-03 | Alberta, Bienville Parish | EF0 1.75 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-04-05 | Fryeburg, Bienville Parish | F1 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-04-05 | Fryeburg, Bienville Parish | F1 3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $453K |
| 2001-11-26 | Bryceland, Bienville Parish | F1 7.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-04-23 | Castor, Bienville Parish | F2 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 1999-01-22 | Cox Crossing, Bienville Parish | F1 8.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-11-03 | Bienville Parish | F3 7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1991-04-27 | Bienville Parish | F1 5 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1990-04-27 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1990-02-15 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1984-05-02 | Bienville Parish | F3 30 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1982-04-19 | Bienville Parish | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-04-19 | Bienville Parish | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-04-08 | Bienville Parish | F0 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1977-05-01 | Bienville Parish | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-06-17 | Bienville Parish | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-05-25 | Bienville Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-05-06 | Bienville Parish | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-04-13 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-04-13 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-04-13 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1961-09-13 | Bienville Parish | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-05-14 | Bienville Parish | F2 6.1 mi x 283 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-04-21 | Bienville Parish | F1 11 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-05-23 | Bienville Parish | F2 4.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1950-02-12 | Bienville Parish | F3 27.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Bienville Parish?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 15, 2023 tornado ($29,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 104 mph touched down west of Zeke Road just north of the intersection of Zeke Road and Highway 154 in Western Bienville Parish just southwest of Ringgold. Shortly after crossing Zeke Road while moving in an east-northeasterly direction, the tornado reached its peak estimated wind speed near 104 mph as the NWS survey team found numerous snapped softwood trees on a heavily wooded property. The tornado continued a consistent movement to the east-northeast for another quarter mile, before turning sharply to the southeast and crossing back over Highway 154. This rather atypical tornadic movement was represented quite closely in the associated radar data. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1085447)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindPleasant Hill, Bienville Parish | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindArcadia, Bienville Parish | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindGibsland, Bienville Parish | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | DroughtBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Cold/Wind ChillBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | DroughtBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindGibsland, Bienville Parish | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindCastor, Bienville Parish | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-03-09 | Flash FloodLucky, Bienville Parish A 75 year old man drove around a barricade on Hwy. 4 at Saline Creek and was swept off the highway. He was later found deceased. The other occupant, a 70 year old woman was found by first responders clinging to a tree. She was taken to an area hospital suffering from hypothermia. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-12-22 | Ice StormBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville A shallow dome of artic air spread across northern Louisiana while low pressure formed in the northern Gulf of Mexico pulling warm moist air northward over the top of the cold air. The result was widespread freezing rain, sleet and freezing drizzle. The ice accumulated mainly across exposed surfaces such as trees and ... | 1 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 1998-02-10 | Thunderstorm WindRinggold, Bienville Parish Numerous reports of trees and powerlines were felled. School buses were trapped on the highways during the storm when the roads were blocked from fallen trees. There were two injuries when a tree fell across a pickup truck on La Hwy 151. The men were transported to a local hospital and only one appeared to have ... | 0 | 2 | $1.8M | |
| 1979-04-08 | TornadoBienville Parish | F0 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2009-12-24 | Flash FloodArcadia Airport, Bienville Parish Water was running over Saline Ridge Road and swept a truck off the road. A high water rescue was needed for an elderly man who was trapped in a truck. The man was taken to a local hospital for hypothermia. | 0 | 1 | $21K | |
| 2009-08-19 | LightningCastor, Bienville Parish A man was struck by lightning while standing under the front porch of his home. Lightning struck a tree adjacent to the porch and ran down the trunk of the tree and struck the man. He was taken to the nearest hospital and was treated for undisclosed injuries. A separate lightning strike just minutes earlier hit and ... | 0 | 1 | $1K | |
| 2005-04-05 | TornadoFryeburg, Bienville Parish A supercell storm spawned a tornado across northwest Bienville parish. The storm destroyed two mobile homes and did minor damage to 6 other homes along its path. Numerous trees and powerlines were also blown over in the storm. There was one injury from a tree hitting a mobile home approximately one half mile north of ... | F1 3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $453K |
| 1993-04-14 | Thunderstorm WindFriendship, Bienville Parish | 0 | 1 | $102K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10-14 | FloodGusta Pt, Bienville Parish | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 1998-02-10 | Thunderstorm WindRinggold, Bienville Parish | 0 | 2 | $1.8M | |
| 1998-12-22 | Ice StormBienville Parish · forecast zone Bienville | 1 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2005-04-05 | TornadoFryeburg, Bienville Parish | F1 3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $453K |
| 2011-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindRinggold, Bienville Parish | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $328K |
| 2017-03-24 | Thunderstorm WindRinggold, Bienville Parish | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2020-04-12 | TornadoArcadia, Bienville Parish | EF1 0.77 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
| 2000-04-23 | TornadoCastor, Bienville Parish | F2 4.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 2, 1984 (tornado, Bienville Parish); November 3, 1992 (tornado, Bienville Parish).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Bienville Parish's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 69 | 38 | 83 | 34 |
| Hail | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 53 | 38 | 10 | 17 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 29 | 61 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 31 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 10 | 14 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Bienville Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 45 · Feb 43 · Mar 78 · Apr 138 · May 63 · Jun 62 · Jul 71 · Aug 60 · Sep 23 · Oct 23 · Nov 32 · Dec 35 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Bienville Parish
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Bienville Parish: 19 major disasters, 16 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (16) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-18 | DR-4900 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3638 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024-09-10 | EM-3614 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Francine |
| 2021-09-13 | EM-3574 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Nicholas |
| 2021-08-29 | DR-4611 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-27 | EM-3568 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ida |
| 2021-03-09 | DR-4590 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021-02-18 | EM-3556 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-10-27 | EM-3549 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Zeta |
| 2020-10-16 | DR-4570 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-10-07 | EM-3547 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3543 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-08-28 | DR-4559 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 2020-08-23 | EM-3538 | Hurricane | Tropical Storms Laura and Marco |
| 2020-06-07 | EM-3527 | Coastal Storm | Tropical Storm Cristobal |
| 2020-03-24 | DR-4484 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3459 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-03-13 | DR-4263 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-09-13 | DR-1792 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ike |
| 2008-09-02 | DR-1786 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3289 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2005-09-24 | DR-1607 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-09-21 | EM-3260 | Hurricane | Hurricane Rita |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1603 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-08-27 | EM-3212 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2001-01-12 | DR-1357 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 2000-02-15 | DR-1314 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-01-21 | DR-1264 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1012 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1991-05-03 | DR-904 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1991-04-23 | DR-902 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1989-07-17 | DR-835 | Flood | Tropical Storm Allison |
| 1989-05-20 | DR-829 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-05-15 | EM-3090 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1977-02-22 | EM-3031 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Bienville Parish had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Bienville Parish from 1997 to 2025, on 28 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Bienville Parish ranks 1759th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008-09-01 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $486,000 on 41 claims filed in Bienville Parish; the most in one year was 6 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 3 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 6 · 1994: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2001: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 2 · 2011: 2 · 2016: 6; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Bienville Parish
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bienville Parish Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $1.1M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $598K | 5.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $585K | 21 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $294K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $858K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $136K | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $56K | 32 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $114K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Bienville Parish
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in LouisianaEvery Louisiana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in LouisianaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Louisiana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Bienville ParishThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Bienville Parish's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis