PlainHazard

Tensas Parish, Louisiana

Parish storm and disaster record · FIPS 22107 · population 4,133 · 603 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 367 records for Tensas Parish, Louisiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 280 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (174 records). The most damaging was the September 2, 2008 flash flood ($60.3 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1973, 27 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
367on 280 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
013 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$135Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
29strongest F3
FEMA declarations
29latest 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 Tensas Parish most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 174 since 1956. 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.

Tensas Parish: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 174 144 1956-2026 0 2 $5.2M 24 of 64
Hail 89 71 1973-2024 0 0 $3.8M 25 of 64
Tornadoes 29 23 1966-2019 0 11 $23M 48 of 64
Floods 28 26 1997-2020 0 0 $74M 31 of 64
Drought 17 17 2006-2026 0 0 $6.3M 31 of 64
Winter storms 15 15 1996-2026 0 0 $2.0M 28 of 64
Hurricanes and tropical storms 5 5 2005-2020 0 0 $20M 50 of 64
Heat 4 4 2005-2010 0 0 – 45 of 64
Extreme cold 2 2 2010-2026 0 0 $271K 46 of 64
High wind and dust storms 2 2 2015-2016 0 0 $10K 36 of 64
Heavy rain 1 1 2010-2010 0 0 – 34 of 64
Lightning 1 1 2011-2011 0 0 $26K 53 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 Tensas Parish had?

NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Tensas Parish from 1966 to 2019, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 11 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 29 tornadoes whose track touched Tensas Parish since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Tensas Parish, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2005-09-24 23:44, as SPC files itClaytonF314 mi0
1999-01-21 21:45, as SPC files itWisnerF322 mi0
1992-11-21 21:55, as SPC files itSicily Island to RichmondF338 mi0
1990-12-21 16:25, as SPC files itSt. JosephF318 mi0
1983-05-18 17:42, as SPC files itNewelltonF39 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Louisiana.

Every tornado record filed for Tensas Parish (29)
Every tornado recorded in Tensas Parish, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2019-12-16 St Joseph Lake, Tensas Parish EF0 0.52 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $5K
2019-04-13 Franklin, Tensas Parish EF1 4.98 mi x 950 yd 0 0 $58K
2019-04-13 New Light, Tensas Parish EF1 17.25 mi x 1,230 yd 0 0 $81K
2017-04-02 Tensas Bluff, Tensas Parish EF0 0.98 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $1K
2011-04-04 Cooter Pt, Tensas Parish EF2 26.23 mi x 880 yd 0 1 $5.2M
2009-10-15 Osceola, Tensas Parish EF0 0.75 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $83K
2006-05-10 Newellton, Tensas Parish F0 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $88K
2005-09-24 Waterproof, Tensas Parish F3 11 mi x 100 yd 0 2 $1.7M
2001-12-12 Newellton, Tensas Parish F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $2K
2000-11-08 Cooter Pt, Tensas Parish F2 16 mi x 600 yd 0 0 $257K
1999-01-21 New Light, Tensas Parish F3 14 mi x 440 yd 0 0 $886K
1995-04-20 Couter Point, Tensas Parish F0 1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1995-03-07 Waterproof, Tensas Parish F1 0.5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
1995-03-07 Newellton, Tensas Parish F2 1 mi x 40 yd 0 1 –
1995-03-07 Newellton, Tensas Parish F2 1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1992-11-21 Tensas Parish F2 16 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1992-11-21 Tensas Parish F3 26 mi x 200 yd 0 6 $2.5M step
1990-12-21 Tensas Parish F3 18 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $25K step
1990-12-21 Tensas Parish F1 1 mi x 73 yd 0 0 $3K step
1989-03-04 Tensas Parish F1 3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-04-12 Tensas Parish F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1983-12-05 Tensas Parish F0 0.5 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $30 step
1983-05-18 Tensas Parish F2 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-05-18 Tensas Parish F3 9 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1983-04-01 Tensas Parish F2 7 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1981-06-23 Tensas Parish F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $250 step
1973-11-27 Tensas Parish F0 2 mi x 60 yd 0 0 –
1970-01-29 Tensas Parish F1 2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1966-03-03 Tensas Parish F1 1 mi x 233 yd 0 1 $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 Tensas Parish?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 12, 2024 thunderstorm wind ($94,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

A swath of significant wind damage began in southern Franklin Parish and continued into across Tensas Parish including through the Saint Joseph area. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Estimated peak wind speeds were 80 to 100 mph through the swath. The swath ranged from 5 to 10 miles wide and was approximately 35 miles long across portions of Franklin, Catahoula, and Tensas parishes.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1195718)
The 12 most recent records kept for Tensas Parish
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-01 DroughtTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 –
2026-05-23 Thunderstorm WindLake Bruin Lake, Tensas Parish 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-23 Thunderstorm WindNewellton, Tensas Parish 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-23 Thunderstorm WindHeageland, Tensas Parish 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-23 Thunderstorm WindHelena, Tensas Parish 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-01 DroughtTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 –
2026-04-26 Thunderstorm WindNewellton Airport, Tensas Parish 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-01-25 Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 –
2026-01-25 Ice StormTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 –
2025-08-14 Thunderstorm WindAvondale, Tensas Parish 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-05-26 Thunderstorm WindSt Joseph, Tensas Parish 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-01-21 Winter WeatherTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 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 Tensas Parish, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1992-11-21 TornadoTensas Parish F3 26 mi x 200 yd 0 6 $2.5M step
2005-09-24 TornadoWaterproof, Tensas Parish This tornado first touched down in Clayton and tracked to the northeast for 14 miles to 6 miles north of Waterproof. The tornado was on the ground for 3 miles in Concordia parish before it moved into Tensas parish. The damage in Clayton and just to the northeast was confined to a few trees uprooted and snapped with ... F3 11 mi x 100 yd 0 2 $1.7M
1995-11-11 Thunderstorm WindNewellton, Tensas Parish Two people were injured when the tractor-semitrailer wheeler they were driving was turned over. One of the people in the truck was seriously injured. Four mobile homes received substantial damage and three cars were destroyed. 0 2 $97K
2011-04-04 TornadoCooter Pt, Tensas Parish This tornado first touched down along Highway 573 just south of Cooter Point. It tracked northeast across Highway 892 and 126 and then crossed Highway 65 a few miles northwest of St. Joseph. The tornado then crossed Lake Bruin and traveled north of that lake before crossing the southern end of Lake St. Joseph. The ... EF2 26.23 mi x 880 yd 0 1 $5.2M
1995-03-07 TornadoNewellton, Tensas Parish A tornado destroyed four houses and damaged seventeen others. Trees and power lines downed in several places. A women suffered a broken hip and arm. Also numerous trees and power lines were downed and schools were closed in Newellton for the day due to no electricity. Tornado path length and width estimated. F2 1 mi x 40 yd 0 1 –
1966-03-03 TornadoTensas Parish F1 1 mi x 233 yd 0 1 $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.

The costliest records in Tensas Parish since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2008-09-02 Flash FloodSomerset, Tensas Parish 0 0 $60M
2005-08-29 Hurricane (Typhoon)Tensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 $17M
2011-05-08 FloodBalmoral, Tensas Parish 0 0 $7.0M
2011-04-04 TornadoCooter Pt, Tensas Parish EF2 26.23 mi x 880 yd 0 1 $5.2M
2008-09-03 Flash FloodLake Bruin, Tensas Parish 0 0 $3.4M
2008-09-01 Tropical StormTensas Parish · forecast zone Tensas 0 0 $1.8M
2005-09-24 TornadoWaterproof, Tensas Parish F3 11 mi x 100 yd 0 2 $1.7M
2005-09-25 Flash FloodCountywide, Tensas Parish 0 0 $1.4M

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: November 21, 1992 (tornado, Tensas Parish); April 1, 1983 (tornado, Tensas 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 Tensas 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).

Tensas Parish: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind1022239444026
Hail001253019113
Tornadoes01279550
Floods––––21691
Drought––––0197
Winter storms––––2085

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 Tensas Parish. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 24 · Feb 32 · Mar 49 · Apr 52 · May 55 · Jun 44 · Jul 16 · Aug 19 · Sep 8 · Oct 20 · Nov 26 · Dec 22 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Tensas Parish

FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Tensas Parish: 14 major disasters, 15 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (16) and flood (3).

Declarations including Tensas 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
2012-08-29DR-4080HurricaneHurricane Isaac
2011-08-18DR-4015FloodFlooding
2011-05-06EM-3322FloodFlooding
2008-09-02DR-1786HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2008-08-29EM-3289HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2006-11-02DR-1668Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2005-09-24DR-1607HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-09-21EM-3260HurricaneHurricane Rita
2005-08-29DR-1603HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-08-27EM-3212HurricaneHurricane Katrina
1991-05-03DR-904Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1973-04-27DR-374FloodSevere Storms & Flooding

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 Tensas Parish had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 28 flood or flash flood records for Tensas Parish from 1997 to 2020, on 26 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tensas Parish ranks 1052nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Tensas Parish's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0130
Hurricane Katrina2005-08-2930

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.9 million on 161 claims filed in Tensas Parish; the most in one year was 25 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1979: 4 · 1980: 9 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 12 · 1984: 5 · 1985: 1 · 1989: 5 · 1990: 9 · 1991: 16 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 13 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 4 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 16 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 25 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 2; 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 Tensas Parish

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tensas Parish Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.6 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 Tensas Parish (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
DroughtRelatively Moderate$926K16 modeled event-days a year
HurricaneRelatively Low$371Konce in about 14 years (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$237K3.3 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Low$49Kabout once a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$202K19 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Low$663Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$227K3 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeVery Low$77Konce in about 629 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Tensas Parish

  1. Warren County, MS 827
  2. Franklin Parish 518
  3. Adams County, MS 453
  4. Madison Parish 403
  5. Catahoula Parish 376
  6. Tensas Parish 367
  7. Claiborne County, MS 367
  8. Concordia Parish 363
  9. Jefferson County, MS 341

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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