Richland Parish, Louisiana
Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22083 · population 19,986 · 556 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 461 records for Richland Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 317 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (207 records). The deadliest single record is the December 25, 2012 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $32,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 36 declarations naming the county since 1965, 34 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
- 461on 317 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 151 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $136Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 40strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 36latest 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 Richland Parish most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 207 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 207 | 159 | 1967-2026 | 1 | 0 | $5.1M | 17 of 64 |
| Hail | 114 | 86 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 16 of 64 |
| Floods | 48 | 42 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $75M | 15 of 64 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 32 | 1953-2024 | 0 | 51 | $34M | 24 of 64 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 29 of 64 |
| Winter storms | 17 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 21 of 64 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 7 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 34 of 64 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2005-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 64 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2008-2009 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 18 of 64 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $135K | 45 of 64 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 43 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 Richland Parish had?
NOAA records 40 tornadoes in Richland Parish from 1953 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 51 injuries recorded in the county. That is 24th of 64 Louisiana counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 39 tornadoes whose track touched Richland Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 40: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Richland Parish.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-01-18 14:15, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 38 mi | 1 |
| 1983-04-01 17:05, as SPC files it | Baskin | F3 | 21 mi | 0 |
| 1953-05-17 13:30, as SPC files it | Rayville to Epps | F3 | 41.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.
Every tornado record filed for Richland Parish (40)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-28 | Warden, Richland Parish | EF0 3.62 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2022-03-30 | Dehlco, Richland Parish | EF0 1.78 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2022-03-30 | Girard, Richland Parish | EF1 7.37 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2021-05-04 | Alto, Richland Parish | EF0 8.55 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2020-04-12 | Cuthbert, Richland Parish | EF0 1.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2020-04-12 | Cuthbert, Richland Parish | EF1 1.91 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2020-04-12 | Boeuff River, Richland Parish | EF1 1.01 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2019-05-19 | New Light, Richland Parish | EF1 18.67 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $115K |
| 2019-05-08 | Jonesburg, Richland Parish | EF1 7.88 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2019-05-08 | Crew Lake, Richland Parish | EF1 8.89 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $208K |
| 2018-04-13 | Girard, Richland Parish | EF0 3.19 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2018-04-06 | Buckner, Richland Parish | EF0 7.85 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2018-03-28 | New Light, Richland Parish | EF1 4.05 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 4 | $235K |
| 2018-03-28 | Buckner, Richland Parish | EF1 1.74 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2017-04-02 | New Light, Richland Parish | EF1 4.24 mi x 1,232 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 2017-04-02 | New Light, Richland Parish | EF1 3.78 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $265K |
| 2017-04-02 | New Light, Richland Parish | EF1 3.69 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $90K |
| 2009-04-10 | Delhi, Richland Parish | EF1 3.46 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2006-10-16 | New Light, Richland Parish | F0 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-11-23 | Start, Richland Parish | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-03-30 | Holly Ridge, Richland Parish | F0 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-03-07 | Alto, Richland Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1992-06-06 | Richland Parish | F1 4 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-27 | Richland Parish | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-04-12 | Richland Parish | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-26 | Richland Parish | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-11-19 | Richland Parish | F2 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-04-01 | Richland Parish | F3 7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-03-20 | Richland Parish | F2 17 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-04-30 | Richland Parish | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-04-30 | Richland Parish | F2 5.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1975-03-23 | Richland Parish | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-03-28 | Richland Parish | F1 22.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1973-12-03 | Richland Parish | F2 9.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 23 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-01-18 | Richland Parish | F3 19.3 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1971-06-08 | Richland Parish | F0 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1970-05-24 | Richland Parish | F1 1 mi x 183 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1963-06-21 | Richland Parish | F0 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1956-04-05 | Richland Parish | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-17 | Richland Parish | F3 15.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 17 | $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 Richland Parish?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 18, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRichland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-22 | Flash FloodDelhi, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRichland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindRayville Municipal Airport, Richland Parish | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-07 | HailStart, Richland Parish | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillRichland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormRichland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindBee Bayou, Richland Parish | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-18 | Thunderstorm WindGirard, Richland Parish | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-09-16 | HailBee Bayou, Richland Parish | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | Thunderstorm WindBee Bayou, Richland Parish | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-06 | Thunderstorm WindAlto, Richland Parish | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-12-25 | Thunderstorm WindCuthbert, Richland Parish A tree fell on a mobile home west of Epps along LA Highway 134, fatally injuring one man inside. Additional trees were also blown down in the area. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $32K |
| 1973-12-03 | TornadoRichland Parish | F2 9.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 23 | $2.5M step |
| 1953-05-17 | TornadoRichland Parish | F3 15.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 17 | $250K step |
| 2018-03-28 | TornadoNew Light, Richland Parish This tornado began around the intersection of Bill Taylor Road and Augustus Road. The tornado was videoed as it continued east northeast across a field north of Bill Taylor Road, where it overturned an irrigation pivot. The tornado then crossed Middle Road, flipping a mobile home on its side and atop a vehicle. Four ... | EF1 4.05 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 4 | $235K |
| 1975-04-30 | TornadoRichland Parish | F2 5.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1974-03-28 | TornadoRichland Parish | F1 22.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1995-03-07 | TornadoAlto, Richland Parish A tornado flattened a mobile home near Alto. The family was asleep when the tornado hit and threw two small children across the road leading to their home. Miraculously only one minor injury occurred. | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1956-04-05 | TornadoRichland Parish | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-03 | Flash FloodMangham, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | $56M | |
| 2006-10-16 | Flash FloodArchibald, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2005-08-29 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Richland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | |
| 2008-09-01 | Tropical StormRichland Parish · forecast zone Richland | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2006-10-19 | Flash FloodMangham, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2009-10-13 | Flash FloodRayville Municipal Airport, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | $619K | |
| 2019-09-09 | Thunderstorm WindStart, Richland Parish | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $519K |
| 2008-08-11 | Flash FloodMangham, Richland Parish | 0 | 0 | $480K |
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: December 3, 1973 (tornado, Richland Parish); April 1, 1983 (tornado, Richland 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 Richland 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 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 51 | 44 | 33 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 17 | 28 | 27 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 19 | 21 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 7 | 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 Richland Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 23 · Mar 69 · Apr 105 · May 70 · Jun 44 · Jul 19 · Aug 30 · Sep 15 · Oct 22 · Nov 22 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Richland Parish
FEMA's register lists 36 declarations that include Richland Parish: 20 major disasters, 16 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (17) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 2012-08-29 | DR-4080 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2011-05-06 | EM-3322 | Flood | 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 |
| 2000-02-15 | DR-1314 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1999-01-21 | DR-1264 | Severe Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 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 |
| 1978-09-20 | DR-565 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-02-22 | EM-3031 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
| 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 Richland Parish had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 48 flood or flash flood records for Richland Parish from 1996 to 2026, on 42 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Richland Parish ranks 529th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008-09-01 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $11.1 million on 473 claims filed in Richland Parish; the most in one year was 92 in 2016. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 16 · 1980: 8 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 21 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 5 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 11 · 1991: 60 · 1993: 5 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 35 · 2000: 4 · 2001: 9 · 2002: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 46 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 60 · 2009: 4 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 92 · 2017: 3 · 2020: 41 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 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 Richland Parish
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Richland Parish Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $447K | 25 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $177K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $685K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $715K | 19 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $318K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $265K | once in about 18 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $324K | once in about 520 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Richland 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 Richland ParishThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Richland Parish's FEMA declarations (CSV)36 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis