St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana severe weather history spans 121 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 40.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,811 nationally and #59 in Louisiana.
121
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$82.8M
Property damage
The record
What the St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana severe weather history averages 1.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 27 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 24 events fall before 1990 and 97 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $82.1M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in St. Bernard Parish
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 49 | 2 | $148K | 70 | 1958–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $540K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Hail | 16 | 0 | $1K | 1.75 | 1982–2014 |
| Tornado | 15 | 1 | $82.1M | F2 | 1983–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2017 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $21K | 0 | 1997–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2011 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2020 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-22 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 11.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-12-14 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 10.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-03-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-09-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-04-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-02-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-04-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-01-11 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 15.7 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in St. Bernard Parish
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2022 | Tornado | ARABI | 1 | 2 | $30.0M |
| Sep 4, 2004 | Lightning | DELACROIX | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 21, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 21, 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Dec 14, 2022 | Tornado | ARABI | 0 | 4 | $50.0M |
| May 28, 1997 | Lightning | CHALMETTE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado entered into Orleans Parish from Jefferson Parish as it crossed the Mississippi River and moved into Arabi. It continued to cause damage to trees, power lines and structures as it moved northeastward. Minor fascia damage was noted to an apartment building where the tornado crossed Patricia street and moved into an inaccessible forested area. The track was extended into the Florida Walk Canal based on high resolution satellite data indicating tree damage along the path through the forest. It may have continued into the marsh, but no damage was observable. The maximum rating of 125 mph EF-2 is based on the homes that lost all or most of their roof structure as well as suffering some wall collapse.
A tornado touched down in the Eden Isles subdivision on the south side of Slidell. Approximately 25 houses were damaged, mainly to the roofs. Newspaper account indicated damage would be around $1.5 million. A National Weather Service employee surveyed the tornado damaged area.
The survey team found tornado damage consistent with estimated winds around 105 mph. The vacant 3 story Delacroix Government Complex lost its top two floors, and suffered a collapse of north and east facing brick veneer. Five unstrapped RV trailers were flipped. Two trailers rolled for 45 yards and were totally destroyed. The tornado touched down on Bayou Terre Au Beoufs by the government complex, crossed a marsh field, and recrossed Highway 300 where 4 of the 5 trailers were affected, then lifted over the bayou. Length 0.6 miles, width 25 yards.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
44,419
Population (ACS)
$203K
Median home value
48
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Sep 16, 2024 | Hurricane | HURRICANE FRANCINE | DR |
| Sep 10, 2024 | Hurricane | TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE | EM |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Other | SEAWATER INTRUSION | EM |
| Sep 13, 2021 | Coastal Storm | TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS | EM |
| Aug 29, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana?
121 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $82.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in St. Bernard Parish?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 49 recorded events — 40.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed St. Bernard Parish?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover St. Bernard Parish?
48 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include St. Bernard Parish, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is St. Bernard Parish compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates St. Bernard Parish as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the St. Bernard 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
- Sabine Parish 482
- St. Charles Parish 258
- Richland Parish 407
- St. Helena Parish 115
- Red River Parish 323
- St. James Parish 88
Cite this page
“St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/louisiana/st-bernard-parish/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.