Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22021 · population 9,627 · 530 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 421 records for Caldwell Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 326 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (132 records). The deadliest single record is the January 18, 1973 tornado: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 38 declarations naming the county since 1965, 36 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
- 421on 326 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 211 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $49Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 38latest 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 Caldwell Parish most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 132 since 1974. 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 | 132 | 100 | 1974-2026 | 1 | 2 | $229K | 38 of 64 |
| Heat | 87 | 86 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 64 |
| Hail | 73 | 57 | 1974-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 28 of 64 |
| Drought | 44 | 44 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 64 |
| Floods | 24 | 16 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 0 | $9.5M | 52 of 64 |
| Winter storms | 24 | 24 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 64 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 19 | 1953-2025 | 1 | 9 | $39M | 54 of 64 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 7 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 11 of 64 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2008-2020 | 0 | 0 | $274K | 45 of 64 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 2 | 2002-2019 | 0 | 0 | $577 | 33 of 64 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2016-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 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 Caldwell Parish had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Caldwell Parish from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 1 death and 9 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 20 tornadoes whose track touched Caldwell Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Caldwell Parish.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-11-23 20:05, as SPC files it | Olla | F3 | 15 mi | 1 |
| 1973-01-18 14:15, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 38 mi | 1 |
| 2022-11-29 18:03, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 7.9 mi | 0 |
| 1983-05-19 23:20, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1983-04-01 16:35, as SPC files it | Columbia | F3 | 6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.
Every tornado record filed for Caldwell Parish (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-04 | Holum, Caldwell Parish | EF1 0.44 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2022-11-29 | Holum, Caldwell Parish | EF3 7.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $454K |
| 2022-04-13 | Cotton Plant, Caldwell Parish | EF2 12.98 mi x 625 yd | 0 | 0 | $252K |
| 2018-04-13 | Kelly, Caldwell Parish | EF2 4.11 mi x 340 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2018-03-28 | Hebert, Caldwell Parish | EF1 1.08 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2017-04-02 | Hebert, Caldwell Parish | EF1 3.85 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-02 | Copenhagen, Caldwell Parish | EF1 0.49 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-03-21 | Grayson, Caldwell Parish | EF1 3.96 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 2008-09-13 | Blankston, Caldwell Parish | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-09-13 | Spaulding, Caldwell Parish | EF0 0.25 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-10-16 | Hebert, Caldwell Parish | F0 1.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $293K |
| 2004-11-23 | Spaulding, Caldwell Parish | F2 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2001-11-24 | Clarks, Caldwell Parish | F1 5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-11-03 | Caldwell Parish | F1 1 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-05-19 | Caldwell Parish | F3 2 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-18 | Caldwell Parish | F2 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-04-01 | Caldwell Parish | F3 6 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1977-03-03 | Caldwell Parish | F1 6.8 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-01-18 | Caldwell Parish | F3 18.7 mi x 73 yd | 1 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1968-06-24 | Caldwell Parish | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-03-22 | Caldwell Parish | F2 61.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M 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 Caldwell Parish?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 4, 2025 tornado ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
This brief EF1 tornado crossed the east side of the intersection of Hammock Road and Highway 506 in the very southern portion of Caldwell Parish. There were enough tree trunk snaps and uproots to confirm peak winds up to 100 mph. Two structures were damaged: one a large hay barn with most of the roof removed and another a single family residence experiencing low end roof damage. High resolution satellite image differencing techniques were used to clarify whether this tornado track extended any further than the limited ground access by the survey team allowed them to confirm, but no additional damage was noted. The tornado had a width of 200 yards and tracked just under one half mile.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1249730)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindPulpwood, Caldwell Parish | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Cold/Wind ChillCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | DroughtCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindClarks, Caldwell Parish | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | HeatCaldwell Parish · forecast zone Caldwell | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-01-18 | TornadoCaldwell Parish | F3 18.7 mi x 73 yd | 1 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2017-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindHebert, Caldwell Parish A large tree fell on a home on Templeton Bend Road in the Hebert community northeast of Columbia. The tree fell on an 18 year-old male inside the home, who died from his injuries. Numerous other trees were snapped along Templeton Road. | 78 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1983-05-19 | TornadoCaldwell Parish | F3 2 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1992-11-21 | Thunderstorm WindCaldwell Parish | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2022-11-29 | TornadoHolum, Caldwell Parish An EF-3 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 140 mph touched down along Highway 126 in rural Southeast Caldwell Parish, just southeast of the Holum community. The most intense damage of the tornado occurred here as two residences were essentially destroyed. One residence was a one or two family residence which ... | EF3 7.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $454K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-03-08 | Flash FloodHolum, Caldwell Parish | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2009-10-31 | FloodColumbia, Caldwell Parish | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2004-11-23 | TornadoSpaulding, Caldwell Parish | F2 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2012-03-21 | TornadoGrayson, Caldwell Parish | EF1 3.96 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 2022-11-29 | TornadoHolum, Caldwell Parish | EF3 7.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $454K |
| 2006-10-16 | Flash FloodColumbia, Caldwell Parish | 0 | 0 | $425K | |
| 2006-10-16 | TornadoHebert, Caldwell Parish | F0 1.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $293K |
| 2022-04-13 | TornadoCotton Plant, Caldwell Parish | EF2 12.98 mi x 625 yd | 0 | 0 | $252K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 22, 1953 (tornado, Caldwell Parish); April 1, 1983 (tornado, Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 36 | 20 | 35 | 20 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 28 | 59 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 10 | 7 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 24 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 1 | 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 Caldwell Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 27 · Feb 35 · Mar 40 · Apr 66 · May 30 · Jun 37 · Jul 60 · Aug 41 · Sep 19 · Oct 21 · Nov 27 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Caldwell Parish
FEMA's register lists 38 declarations that include Caldwell Parish: 22 major disasters, 16 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (18) and flood (7).
| 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 |
| 2019-09-19 | DR-4462 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2016-03-13 | DR-4263 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-08-29 | DR-4080 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2009-12-10 | DR-1863 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-09-02 | DR-1786 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-08-29 | EM-3289 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2006-11-02 | DR-1668 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2002-10-03 | DR-1437 | Hurricane | Hurricane Lili |
| 1991-05-03 | DR-904 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-05-20 | DR-829 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-01-11 | DR-675 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1977-02-22 | EM-3031 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
| 1975-06-06 | DR-470 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rains, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1975-04-12 | EM-3011 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1974-02-23 | DR-418 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1973-04-27 | DR-374 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1965-09-10 | DR-208 | Hurricane | Hurricane Betsy |
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 Caldwell Parish had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 24 flood or flash flood records for Caldwell Parish from 1999 to 2020, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Caldwell Parish ranks 513th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.3 million on 490 claims filed in Caldwell Parish; the most in one year was 258 in 1991. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 15 · 1980: 2 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 54 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 4 · 1991: 258 · 1992: 1 · 1995: 3 · 1997: 2 · 1999: 8 · 2001: 15 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 28 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 70 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 3; 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 Caldwell Parish
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Caldwell Parish Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $208K | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $396K | 21 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $160K | 32 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $57K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $372K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $684K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $135K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $50K | once in about 647 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Caldwell 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 Caldwell ParishThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Caldwell Parish's FEMA declarations (CSV)38 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis