Bossier Parish, Louisiana severe weather history spans 1,091 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #109 nationally and #2 in Louisiana.
1,091
Recorded events
27
Direct deaths
430
Direct injuries
$383.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Bossier Parish, Louisiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bossier Parish, Louisiana severe weather history averages 14.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 279 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 186 events fall before 1990 and 905 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bossier Parish, Louisiana record is tornado, responsible for 27 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $308.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bossier Parish
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 463 | 0 | $3.1M | 144 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 396 | 0 | $50.0M | 4.5 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 125 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 74 | 27 | $308.0M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $10.9M | 0 | 1996–2016 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $8.7M | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Bossier Parish, Louisiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
80 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 51 touched down inside it and 29 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-02-12 | EF4 | 18 | 77 | 82.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-04-03 | EF4 | 7 | 102 | 19.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-12-03 | EF4 | 2 | 266 | 6.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-01-22 | EF3 | 3 | 9 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-04-23 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 32.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-04-23 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-05-02 | EF3 | 0 | 9 | 61.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-12-03 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 61.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 6.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-02-11 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 33.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bossier Parish
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 1950 | Tornado | 9 | 37 | $250K | |
| Apr 3, 1999 | Tornado | BOSSIER CITY | 7 | 90 | $6.7M |
| Jan 22, 1957 | Tornado | 3 | 9 | $250K | |
| Jan 11, 2020 | Tornado | SLIGO | 3 | 0 | $500K |
| Dec 3, 1978 | Tornado | 2 | 266 | $250.0M | |
| Jul 8, 2024 | Tornado | NINOCK | 2 | 1 | $706K |
| Apr 14, 2018 | Tornado | BOSSIER CITY | 1 | 0 | $3.0M |
| Oct 29, 2009 | Tornado | BODCAU | 0 | 8 | $1.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Supercells developed over the area as a speed max moved out of Texas and across the region. Some 389 structures were effected. Of this 227 homes or businesses suffered either major damage or were destroyed. Roofs missing. Brick homes leveled. One brick home totally missing, leaving only the slab. Numerous large oak and pine trees uprooted or snapped near the bases.
Excessive heavy rainfall developed during the evening of May 13th. This resulted in widespread flooding across the southern portion of Bossier Parish. Numerous roads were flooded and closed throughout the city. Some homes and businesses in the city were flooded as well with many vehicles stalled out in high water across the city. The estimated monetary amount due to the flooding across the parish is very preliminary at this time and the monetary amount will likely be much higher.
Supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado as part of an outbreak of tornados across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana and extreme southeast Oklahoma. Extensive, widespread trees damage along entire track. Tree damage noted up to 2 to 3 miles either side of track. Approximately 25 to 30 residences damaged by fallen trees. A number of outbuildings either damaged by fallen trees or by wind. This tornado continued into Webster Parish, LA.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
129,789
Population (ACS)
$227K
Median home value
36
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 10, 2024 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE | EM |
| Sep 13, 2021 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS | EM |
| Aug 29, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 27, 2021 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM IDA | EM |
| Mar 9, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Bossier City 194
- Benton 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bossier Parish, Louisiana?
1,091 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 27 direct deaths and $383.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bossier Parish?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 463 recorded events — 42.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bossier Parish?
80 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 51 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bossier Parish?
36 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bossier Parish, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bossier Parish compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bossier Parish as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bossier Parish, Louisiana severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Bienville Parish 484
- Caddo Parish 1,880
- Beauregard Parish 448
- Calcasieu Parish 969
- Avoyelles Parish 315
- Caldwell Parish 251
Cite this page
“Bossier Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/bossier-parish/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.