PlainHazard

Lincoln Parish, Louisiana

Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22061 · population 48,370 · 472 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 641 records for Lincoln Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 454 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (232 records). The deadliest single record is the November 30, 1996 tornado: 2 deaths, 9 injuries and $3.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1977, 32 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
641on 454 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
822 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$87Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
29strongest EF3
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 Lincoln Parish most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 232 since 1967. 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.

Lincoln Parish: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 232 164 1967-2025 0 2 $4.8M 12 of 64
Hail 158 107 1974-2026 0 0 $462K 6 of 64
Heat 86 85 2000-2025 2 0 – 2 of 64
Drought 44 44 1998-2026 0 0 – 2 of 64
Floods 34 24 1998-2026 1 2 $13M 26 of 64
Tornadoes 29 23 1953-2022 4 16 $68M 34 of 64
Winter storms 26 26 1997-2026 1 1 – 4 of 64
Lightning 11 11 1997-2012 0 1 $401K 9 of 64
Extreme cold 7 7 2010-2026 0 0 $338K 6 of 64
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 7 5 1996-2018 0 0 – 11 of 64
Hurricanes and tropical storms 5 5 2005-2020 0 0 $685K 41 of 64
High wind and dust storms 2 2 2008-2019 0 0 $69K 28 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 Lincoln Parish had?

NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Lincoln Parish from 1953 to 2022, the strongest rated EF3, with 4 deaths and 16 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Lincoln Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Lincoln Parish, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2019-04-25 00:47, as SPC files itRustonEF311.15 mi2
1996-11-30 14:14, as SPC files itSimsboro to ViennaF210 mi2

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.

Every tornado record filed for Lincoln Parish (29)
Every tornado recorded in Lincoln Parish, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-04-05 Cedarton, Lincoln Parish EF0 1.28 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-08 Barnet Spgs, Lincoln Parish EF1 2.16 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $115K
2019-04-25 Barnet Spgs, Lincoln Parish EF3 11.15 mi x 1,000 yd 2 2 $58M
2018-04-14 Downsville, Lincoln Parish EF1 0.04 mi x 250 yd 0 0 –
2018-04-14 Choudrant, Lincoln Parish EF1 4.6 mi x 865 yd 0 0 –
2018-04-14 Grambling, Lincoln Parish EF1 6.45 mi x 470 yd 0 0 $1.6M
2011-04-26 Barnet Spgs, Lincoln Parish EF0 4.7 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2009-04-09 Oak Grove, Lincoln Parish EF1 4.4 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $413K
2008-09-13 Henry, Lincoln Parish EF0 0.25 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
2008-09-13 Ruston, Lincoln Parish EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-07 Downsville, Lincoln Parish F0 1.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2001-11-26 Oak Grove, Lincoln Parish F1 6.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2001-11-26 Choudrant, Lincoln Parish F1 7.1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-22 Vienna, Lincoln Parish F1 11.9 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1996-11-30 Simsboro, Lincoln Parish F2 10 mi x 250 yd 2 9 $3.8M
1992-11-03 Lincoln Parish F1 0.8 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1984-05-02 Lincoln Parish F2 5 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $25K step
1984-04-08 Lincoln Parish F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1983-11-19 Lincoln Parish F2 1 mi x 100 yd 0 3 $250K step
1982-04-19 Lincoln Parish F2 15 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1977-03-03 Lincoln Parish F1 14.8 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1977-03-03 Lincoln Parish F0 0 0 $25K step
1967-04-13 Lincoln Parish F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd 0 1 $25K step
1965-07-11 Lincoln Parish F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd 0 1 $25K step
1965-02-11 Lincoln Parish F2 9 mi x 117 yd 0 0 $25K step
1964-04-05 Lincoln Parish F2 5.4 mi x 83 yd 0 0 $25K step
1962-02-15 Lincoln Parish F0 0.2 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $30 step
1962-02-15 Lincoln Parish F0 0.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1953-04-29 Lincoln Parish F2 11.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $3K 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 Lincoln Parish?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 8, 2019 tornado ($115,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

This is a continuation of the Jackson Parish EF-1 tornado. This tornado, with maximum estimated winds near 110 mph, crossed over into extreme Southeast Lincoln Parish along Highway 167 and destroyed a single wide mobile home on Winborn Farm Road. This is where high-end EF-1 tornado damage was observed when the mobile home rolled off its foundation, briefly tossed into the air, was thrown approximately 10 yards, and was destroyed as it landed. The anchoring into weakened saturated soil and lack of bending of the frame which was maintained despite the mobile home being destroyed contributed to this being adjusted down to high-end EF-1 damage. The tornado continued east and snapped/uprooted numerous trees as it crossed Riser Road back into Jackson Parish.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 819588)
The 12 most recent records kept for Lincoln Parish
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-23 Flash FloodVienna, Lincoln Parish 0 0 –
2026-06-23 Flash FloodVienna, Lincoln Parish 0 0 –
2026-06-01 DroughtLincoln Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtLincoln Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 0 0 –
2026-04-26 HailChautauqua Spgs, Lincoln Parish 0.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-26 HailChautauqua Spgs, Lincoln Parish 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-26 HailCrossroads, Lincoln Parish 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-02 DroughtLincoln Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Cold/Wind ChillLincoln Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Winter StormLincoln Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 0 0 –
2025-10-18 Thunderstorm WindVienna, Lincoln Parish 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-10-18 Thunderstorm WindVienna, Lincoln 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Lincoln Parish, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1996-11-30 TornadoSimsboro, Lincoln Parish The tornado, in association with a line of severe thunderstorms, touched down in southwest Simsboro, LA. The tornado killed 2 men while injuring another as a tree fell across the cab of their truck while installing a radio. Nine people were injured. The tornado did minor damage to 33 homes, one was completely ... F2 10 mi x 250 yd 2 9 $3.8M
2019-04-25 TornadoBarnet Spgs, Lincoln Parish An EF-3 tornado with maximum estimated winds near 145 mph touched down just northeast of the intersection of Highway 80 and Highway 818 where several trees were uprooted. It continued northeast, crossing South Maple Street where the tornado intensified, resulting in widespread tree damage just south of Highway 3012 ... EF3 11.15 mi x 1,000 yd 2 2 $58M
2000-07-18 HeatLincoln Parish and Union Parish · forecast zone Lincoln 2 0 –
2015-05-18 Flash FloodVienna, Lincoln Parish High and swift water across Little River Road north of Ruston, Louisiana swept a vehicle off the roadway into Colvin Creek. The vehicle was occupied by an adult and 2 children. One of the children drowned while the other child and the adult were injured but survived. 1 2 $12K
2011-01-09 Winter StormLincoln Parish and Union Parish · forecast zone Lincoln A 2000 Pontiac Grand Am was southbound on Louisiana Hwy. 33 when the driver lost control of the vehicle and ran off the east side of the roadway and struck a tree. The driver was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The passenger was also taken to a local hospital but later died from her injuries. The ... 1 1 –
1983-11-19 TornadoLincoln Parish F2 1 mi x 100 yd 0 3 $250K step
1993-04-14 Thunderstorm WindChoudrant, Lincoln Parish 0 2 $1.0M
1999-08-02 LightningRuston, Lincoln Parish A lightning bolt just missed killing a Ruston woman but struck and killed her dog which leaning against her leg. The woman was under her carport when the incident occurred. Betty Hinton described the event as a big explosion right around her legs. She remembers falling to the ground thinking she was going to die. She ... 0 1 –

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.

The costliest records in Lincoln Parish since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2019-04-25 TornadoBarnet Spgs, Lincoln Parish EF3 11.15 mi x 1,000 yd 2 2 $58M
2016-03-08 Flash FloodHico, Lincoln Parish 0 0 $12M
1996-11-30 TornadoSimsboro, Lincoln Parish F2 10 mi x 250 yd 2 9 $3.8M
2013-12-21 Thunderstorm WindCedarton, Lincoln Parish 61 kt wind 0 0 $1.6M
2018-04-14 TornadoGrambling, Lincoln Parish EF1 6.45 mi x 470 yd 0 0 $1.6M
1998-02-10 Thunderstorm WindRuston, Lincoln Parish 0 0 $724K
1997-04-22 HailRuston, Lincoln Parish 1.75 in hail 0 0 $460K
2000-09-02 Thunderstorm WindRuston, Lincoln Parish 61 kt wind 0 0 $428K

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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 19, 1983 (tornado, Lincoln Parish); March 3, 1977 (tornado, Lincoln Parish); April 19, 1982 (tornado, Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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).

Lincoln Parish: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0192449556331
Hail0082645442213
Heat––––012758
Drought––––203012
Floods––––512143
Tornadoes16243661

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 Lincoln Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 50 · Feb 41 · Mar 75 · Apr 95 · May 67 · Jun 71 · Jul 66 · Aug 70 · Sep 28 · Oct 22 · Nov 31 · Dec 25 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Lincoln Parish

FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Lincoln Parish: 19 major disasters, 16 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (16) and severe storm (4).

Declarations including Lincoln Parish, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-02-18DR-4900Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2026-01-24EM-3638Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2024-09-10EM-3614HurricaneTropical Storm Francine
2021-09-13EM-3574Coastal StormTropical Storm Nicholas
2021-08-29DR-4611HurricaneHurricane Ida
2021-08-27EM-3568HurricaneTropical Storm Ida
2021-03-09DR-4590Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-18EM-3556Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-10-27EM-3549HurricaneTropical Storm Zeta
2020-10-16DR-4570HurricaneHurricane Delta
2020-10-07EM-3547HurricaneHurricane Delta
2020-09-14EM-3543HurricaneHurricane Sally
2020-08-28DR-4559HurricaneHurricane Laura
2020-08-23EM-3538HurricaneTropical Storms Laura and Marco
2020-06-07EM-3527Coastal StormTropical Storm Cristobal
2020-03-24DR-4484BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3459BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-03DR-4439Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2016-03-13DR-4263FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2012-08-29DR-4080HurricaneHurricane Isaac
2008-09-02DR-1786HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2008-08-29EM-3289HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2005-09-24DR-1607HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3260HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-08-29DR-1603HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-08-27EM-3212HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2003-02-01EM-3172OtherLoss of Space Shuttle Columbia
2001-01-12DR-1357Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-02-15DR-1314SnowstormSevere Winter Storm
1999-01-21DR-1264Severe StormSevere Ice Storm
1994-02-28DR-1012Severe StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
1991-05-03DR-904Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1989-05-20DR-829FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1983-01-11DR-675FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
1977-02-22EM-3031SnowstormDrought & 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 Lincoln Parish had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 34 flood or flash flood records for Lincoln Parish from 1998 to 2026, on 24 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lincoln Parish ranks 1612th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Lincoln Parish's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0130

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $594,000 on 56 claims filed in Lincoln Parish; the most in one year was 10 in 1989. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1979: 3 · 1980: 2 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1989: 10 · 1990: 3 · 1991: 7 · 1997: 4 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 1; 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 Lincoln Parish

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln Parish Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.7 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Lincoln Parish (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$1.8M1.6 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$2.1M4.4 a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.0M21 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.0Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$232K66 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Low$498Konce in about 651 years (modeled)
HurricaneRelatively Low$308Konce in about 28 years (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$244K3.8 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 Lincoln Parish

  1. Ouachita Parish 1,004
  2. Union Parish 858
  3. Bienville Parish 673
  4. Lincoln Parish 641
  5. Claiborne Parish 599
  6. Jackson Parish 519

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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