Louisiana high wind and dust storms
Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 57 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 212 high wind and dust records in Louisiana from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 7.8 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the December 16, 2000 high wind in St. Landry Parish: 2 deaths and $86,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. Louisiana ranks 50th of 52 states and territories by count and 51st of 51 per square mile.
High wind and dust storms in Louisiana, 1996 to 2026
Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 2121996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 7.8average
- Deaths
- 1016 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.6Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 200834 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are high wind and dust records common in Louisiana?
Louisiana averages about 7.8 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 50th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (34). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Louisiana records 49 high wind and dust records since 1996, 51st of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Louisiana have the most high wind and dust records?
Per square mile, Orleans Parish leads Louisiana: 5 days with a high wind record since 1996, 29.5 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Caddo Parish has the most wind records (19 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the windy season in Louisiana?
46% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in March and April. The busiest month is March (69 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 14 · Feb 9 · Mar 69 · Apr 29 · May 8 · Jun 4 · Jul 10 · Aug 5 · Sep 2 · Oct 33 · Nov 6 · Dec 23 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Louisiana?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-12-16 | High WindSt. Landry Parish · forecast zone St. Landry High winds of 40 to 60 mph toppled trees, damaged roofs, and knocked power out to many communities across southwest and central Louisiana. Two people were killed in Saint Landry Parish when a tree fell on the vehicle they were driving on Highway 182, around a mile north of Sunset. The couple were killed instantly as ... | 2 | 0 | $86K | |
| 1997-04-25 | High WindGrant Parish · forecast zone Grant One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2017-01-10 | Strong WindBossier Parish · forecast zone Bossier Following a bitterly cold arctic air mass that settled in across the Ark-La-Tex area during the previous several days, strong southerly winds in response to a strong pressure gradient over the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley during the late evening and overnight hours of January 9th-10th resulting in ... | 26 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2009-10-09 | High WindCameron Parish · forecast zone Cameron Cameron Parish Sheriff Office and local media reported a paramedic was killed 3 miles west-northwest of Creole at the South Cameron Memorial Hospital when a trailer was blown off its blocks and pinned him against a vehicle. The emergency room canopy at the hospital was also damaged and numerous tree limbs were broken ... | 61 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $103K |
| 1998-02-10 | High WindWebster Parish · forecast zone Webster Damaging winds associated with a wake high pressure area caused minor tree and powerline damage. One A man was killed as he watched the storm from his front porch and a tree fell across him in Doyline. More than 20 utility poles fell in the Minden area. Damage also occurred to Sibley High School and the High School in ... | 1 | 0 | $181K | |
| 2021-04-09 | Strong WindCaddo Parish · forecast zone Caddo Strong non-thunderstorm winds estimated near 45 mph associated with a wake low pressure system blew a tree down onto a mobile home on Countryaire Drive in Blanchard, killing a 48 year old male occupant inside. | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2018-12-26 | Strong WindTangipahoa Parish · forecast zone Southern Tangipahoa A large tree was blown down by non-thunderstorm winds produced by a wake low pressure system. The tree fell on a camper in Ponchatoula. The occupant was reported dead at the scene. Several observing sites along the track of the wake low reported wind gusts to 40 to 50 mph as the system passed any location. Event time ... | 45 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $12K |
| 2006-09-21 | Strong WindIberia Parish · forecast zone Iberia Four people were running crab traps in the Intracoastal Waterway from an aluminum boat when high winds forced water to come over the stern of the boat, capsizing it. Three people were able to swim to safety, but one man died in the accident. | 40 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2006-03-09 | Strong WindMadison Parish · forecast zone Madison Strong wind gusts 43 knots (50 mph) occurred just ahead of an approaching squall line. These winds were responsible for downing a tree which fell on a house. This fallen tree resulted in one fatality to the woman that owned the home. | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $73K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest high wind and dust records in Louisiana
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-03-18 | Strong WindCaddo Parish · forecast zone Caddo One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2011-04-26 | High WindFranklin Parish · forecast zone Franklin One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $853K |
| 1996-03-18 | High WindSt. Tammany Parish · forecast zone St. Tammany | 0 | 0 | $470K | |
| 2008-03-18 | Strong WindRapides Parish · forecast zone Rapides | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 1998-02-10 | High WindWebster Parish · forecast zone Webster | 1 | 0 | $181K | |
| 2009-10-09 | High WindCameron Parish · forecast zone Cameron | 61 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $103K |
| 2000-12-16 | High WindSt. Landry Parish · forecast zone St. Landry | 2 | 0 | $86K | |
| 2006-03-09 | Strong WindMadison Parish · forecast zone Madison | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $73K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Louisiana?
Louisiana's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Louisiana | United States | Louisiana's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 40 | 14,026 | 0.29% |
| 2000s | 82 | 37,254 | 0.22% |
| 2010s | 71 | 41,748 | 0.17% |
| 2020-26 | 19 | 36,300 | 0.05% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent high wind and dust records in Louisiana
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-25 | Strong WindBossier Parish · forecast zone Bossier | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-25 | Strong WindCaddo Parish · forecast zone Caddo | 46 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-31 | Strong WindBossier Parish · forecast zone Bossier | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
| 2025-07-31 | Strong WindBossier Parish · forecast zone Bossier | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $100 |
| 2025-03-29 | Strong WindEast Baton Rouge Parish · forecast zone East Baton Rouge | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-03-12 | High WindOuachita Parish · forecast zone Ouachita | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-04-09 | Strong WindCaddo Parish · forecast zone Caddo | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2019-07-13 | Strong WindLaSalle Parish · forecast zone La Salle | 35 kt wind | 0 | 2 | – |
| 2018-12-26 | Strong WindTangipahoa Parish · forecast zone Southern Tangipahoa | 45 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $12K |
| 2018-06-17 | Strong WindSt. Landry Parish · forecast zone St. Landry | 40 kt wind | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2017-01-10 | Strong WindBossier Parish · forecast zone Bossier | 26 kt wind | 1 | 1 | – |
| 2011-04-26 | High WindMadison Parish · forecast zone Madison | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $328K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
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