46
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
70
Direct injuries
$14.3M
Property damage
Tornado in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana: 46 recorded events between 1956 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #455 nationally and #23 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in East Baton Rouge Parish is the 1970s, when 10 of the county's 46 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the East Baton Rouge Parish archive, tornado makes up 7.3% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #455 for this hazard and #23 within Louisiana, putting it in the 84.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in East Baton Rouge Parish with 9 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-10-14 | EF3 | 16.0 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-26 | EF3 | 0.3 mi | 70 yd | Touched down here |
| 1971-09-16 | EF3 | 7.3 mi | 83 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-08 | EF2 | 9.5 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-04-20 | EF2 | 0.2 mi | 67 yd | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-08 | EF2 | 6.2 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-12-04 | EF2 | 42.7 mi | 80 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-06-27 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 1961-11-13 | EF2 | 3.4 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1958-11-14 | EF2 | 2.0 mi | 17 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7, 2001 | ZACHARY | F1 | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F2 | 0 | 58 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 14, 1984 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Sep 16, 1971 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 3, 1988 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 12, 2017 | CEDAR CREST | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Mar 1, 1991 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| Apr 21, 1977 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2024 | NORTH MERRYDALE | EF0 | $3K |
| Jun 24, 2020 | INDIAN MOUND | EF1 | $50K |
| Jun 24, 2020 | ESSEN | EF1 | $100K |
| Jun 6, 2019 | ESSEN | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2018 | NESSER | EF0 | $0 |
| May 12, 2017 | CEDAR CREST | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2017 | FRED | EF0 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2016 | PUCKETT | EF0 | $200K |
| Jan 13, 2013 | PLAINS | EF0 | $20K |
| Dec 10, 2012 | ALSEN | EF1 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from East Baton Rouge Parish
- Thunderstorm Wind 295
- Hail 110
- Flash Flood 100
- Lightning 57
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado produced an intermittent path of damage approximately 7 miles long and varying from 25 to 100 yards wide as it moved east northeast across suburban areas of the southeast Baton Rouge metro area. The most concentrated area of damage occurred from near Seigen Road and Highland Road northeast to near Perkins Lane and Pecue Lane. Damage was mostly confined to downed trees and houses damaged by falling trees.
The tornado first touched down on Highway 61 near the intersection with the Baton Rouge Barge Canal. The tornado caused moderate damage to a roof of a single family residence and minor damage to a convenience store. A tree was uprooted at the same location. The tornado then traveled east-northeast, causing sporadic tree damage until it crossed over New Rafe Meyer Road and moved into the Lincoln Heights subdivision. This was the location of the worst damage with numerous softwood trees snapped and a few residences with moderate to major roof damage. A travel trailer was rolled over 25 to 30 yards and destroyed. The tornado then continued to travel to the east-northeast, crossing over Highway 19 and causing moderate damage to the roof of a car wash. Afterward, the tornado continued to the east-northeast, causing sporadic tree damage and minor roof damage to a few homes before finally lifting near the intersection of Plank Road and Dyer Road.
Numerous trees blown down or snapped about 30 feet off the ground. Multiple buildings with roof and/or chimney damage. Power lines knocked down. A double carport was destroyed and a 15,000 pound fifth wheel camper rolled over.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana?
46 tornado events are recorded in East Baton Rouge Parish between 1956 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in East Baton Rouge Parish?
The strongest tornado on record in East Baton Rouge Parish measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for East Baton Rouge Parish come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/east-baton-rouge-parish/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.