Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana severe weather history spans 276 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,922 nationally and #42 in Louisiana.
276
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
38
Direct injuries
$100.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 74 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 62 events fall before 1990 and 214 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $50.1M 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 Jefferson Davis Parish
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 137 | 1 | $3.9M | 93 | 1964–2026 |
| Tornado | 50 | 0 | $30.3M | F3 | 1952–2024 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1983–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 28 | 0 | $15.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $495K | 0 | 1997–2010 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $50.1M | 0 | 2006–2016 |
Decade by decade
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
56 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 55 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-10-29 | EF3 | 2 | 52 | 31.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-21 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 6.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-04-04 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 36.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-09-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1966-02-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-04-29 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 13.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jefferson Davis Parish
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Oct 29, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 4, 1952 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Apr 29, 1960 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Feb 26, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | LACASSINE | 0 | 3 | $300K |
| Feb 26, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | LACASSINE | 0 | 3 | $200K |
| May 21, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 8, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The flood wave moved down the Mermentau River causing a crest of 10.8 feet at Lake Arthur and at the town of Mermentau. The flood stage is 4 feet, and this was the 5th highest recorded crest at Mermentau. Many roads and structures were flooded or remained flooded along the river into late in the month.
Local media and law enforcement reported numerous streets were flooded an impassable during the late morning of the 13th. Around Jennings the exit ramps from Interstate 10 were flooded and some sections the interstate itself had water over it. Interstate 10 was closed at Highway 165. An estimated 1060 structures were flooded during the event.
At least 30-40 homes and businesses were damaged when a tornado tore through Lake Arthur. Most of the damage was roof damage, although several homes had windows and walls damaged from flying debris. The water tower had a large radio antenna fall from it. Numerous trees and power lines were down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
31,924
Population (ACS)
$151K
Median home value
42
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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana?
276 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $100.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jefferson Davis Parish?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 137 recorded events — 49.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jefferson Davis Parish?
56 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 55 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jefferson Davis Parish?
42 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jefferson Davis Parish, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jefferson Davis Parish compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson Davis Parish as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jefferson Davis 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
- Jefferson Parish 501
- Lafayette Parish 345
- Jackson Parish 344
- Lafourche Parish 241
- Iberville Parish 177
- LaSalle Parish 247
Cite this page
“Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/jefferson-davis-parish/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.