55
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
28
Direct injuries
$10.7M
Property damage
Tornado in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana: 55 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #308 nationally and #19 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Avoyelles Parish is the 2000s, when 12 of the county's 55 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 Avoyelles Parish archive, tornado makes up 17.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #308 for this hazard and #19 within Louisiana, putting it in the 89.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Nov is the peak month for tornado in Avoyelles Parish with 13 recorded events, while Aug 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-01-31 | EF3 | 5.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-20 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-10-23 | EF2 | 18.3 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-23 | EF2 | 3.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-10-31 | EF2 | 7.8 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
| 2018-11-01 | EF2 | 5.7 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-03-11 | EF2 | 0.4 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2001-11-24 | EF2 | 1.0 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-11-06 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1991-11-19 | EF2 | 10.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 1983 | F3 | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| Mar 11, 2018 | BELLEDEAU | EF2 | 0 | 4 | $120K |
| Nov 24, 2001 | SIMMESPORT | F2 | 0 | 3 | $50K |
| Nov 6, 2000 | EOLA | F2 | 0 | 3 | $200K |
| Dec 4, 1993 | Cottonport | F1 | 0 | 3 | $500K |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jun 8, 1989 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Mar 30, 1988 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2026 | BUNKIE | EF0 | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | BIG BEND | EF1 | $0 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | COTTONPORT | EF1 | $250K |
| Nov 21, 2023 | MARKSVILLE | EF1 | $150K |
| Apr 8, 2021 | BORDELONVILLE | EF1 | $100K |
| Apr 8, 2021 | MANSURA | EF1 | $250K |
| Apr 23, 2020 | EVERGREEN | EF1 | $50K |
| Apr 23, 2020 | BUNKIE MUNI ARPT | EF2 | $1.0M |
| Apr 23, 2020 | VICK | EF1 | $5K |
| Apr 23, 2020 | VICK | EF1 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Avoyelles Parish
- Thunderstorm Wind 164
- Hail 63
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down near the airport where one hangar and two|planes were damaged. A Wal-Mart store had some skylights shattered|and parts of the roof was damaged. Neighboring strip mall stores|also received minor facade damage and a portable fireworks shop|was destroyed. Across the street, several large trees fell on homes|and several other buildings were damaged as well. The estimated peak wind was 110 MPH.
The tornado started east of Highways 115 and 1176 West of Bunkie, producing tree damage. It crossed the Bunkie Airport where it produced considerable damage to hangars and aircraft. It continued ENE and dissipated near Highway 71 on the north side of|Bunkie.
A tornado formed over Bunkie and produced widespread tree damage|across Bunkie, especially the western side of town. Two homes|were destroyed when trees landed on them and came through the roof.|At least another 70 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Bunkie. The peak estimated wind speed was 105 MPH.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana?
55 tornado events are recorded in Avoyelles Parish between 1950 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Avoyelles Parish?
The strongest tornado on record in Avoyelles Parish measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Avoyelles 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 Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/avoyelles-parish/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.