42
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
41
Direct injuries
$40.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana: 42 recorded events between 1953 and 2018. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #567 nationally and #29 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Lafayette Parish is the 2000s, when 10 of the county's 42 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 Lafayette Parish archive, tornado makes up 12.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #567 for this hazard and #29 within Louisiana, putting it in the 80.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Lafayette Parish with 8 recorded events, while Jul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-10-29 | EF3 | 7.3 mi | 167 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-04-04 | EF2 | 20.4 mi | 67 yd | Crossed in |
| 2018-04-14 | EF2 | 4.1 mi | 650 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-15 | EF2 | 7.6 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-01-25 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-13 | EF2 | 6.0 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-10-18 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-03-28 | EF2 | 12.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-12-06 | EF2 | 0.5 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-01-08 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 33 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 1957 | F1 | 2 | 13 | $250K | |
| Jan 6, 1995 | Duson to Scott | F1 | 0 | 8 | $70K |
| Oct 18, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Jan 25, 2004 | LAFAYETTE | F2 | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| Dec 11, 1983 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| May 8, 1975 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250 | |
| Apr 30, 1975 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Nov 22, 1953 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2018 | CARENCRO | EF2 | $750K |
| Aug 29, 2017 | RIDGE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2017 | PITETTE | EF1 | $5K |
| Jan 26, 2012 | DUSON | EF0 | $75K |
| Sep 3, 2011 | RIDGE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2008 | LAFAYETTE | EF1 | $3.0M |
| May 15, 2008 | PITETTE | EF0 | $100K |
| May 15, 2008 | RIDGE | EF2 | $300K |
| Feb 13, 2007 | YOUNGSVILLE | EF1 | $250K |
| Apr 29, 2006 | LAFAYETTE | F0 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Lafayette Parish
- Thunderstorm Wind 144
- Hail 78
- Flash Flood 49
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An EF-1 tornado began near the Oil Center area of Lafayette. Several medical buildings received significant roof damage with debris from the roofs knocking out windows in neghboring buidlings. Trees and power poles were blown down, damaging some parked cars.
This tornado touched down between University Ave. and |Patin Rd, damaging several homes before topling a large advertising |billboard and crossing I-49. The tornado damaged several businesses |east of I-49 and continued ENE for several miles, crossing Hwy 1252 |several times and downing multiple trees and branches. It ended |along Arnaudville and Lantier Roads, rolling a metal outbuilding and |RV, and damaging multiple roofs. Max estimated wind speed was 115 MPH.
This is a continuation of the tornado that began west of Maurice in Vermilion Parish. It strengthened to EF-2 intensity before dissipating a mile west of the Acadiana Mall. Near the Duhon and West Broussard Road intersection, one permanent home had the roof completely blown off, hitting the neighboring house and causing extensive damage. The two people inside the roof-less home escaped injury. Other homes along the path received minor roof or siding damage, and many trees were blown down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
42 tornado events are recorded in Lafayette Parish between 1953 and 2018, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Lafayette Parish?
The strongest tornado on record in Lafayette Parish measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Lafayette 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 Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/lafayette-parish/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.