433
Recorded events
55
Counties affected
31
Direct deaths
$40.7M
Property damage
Louisiana lightning history: 433 recorded events across 55 counties between 1996 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Louisiana lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 195 reported lightning events across Louisiana. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in Louisiana
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | East Baton Rouge Parish | 57 | 4 | $8.8M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Caddo Parish | 35 | 3 | $1.4M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | St. Tammany Parish | 26 | 1 | $720K | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Bossier Parish | 20 | 0 | $10.9M | 1996–2016 |
| #5 | Tangipahoa Parish | 19 | 2 | $513K | 1996–2026 |
| #6 | Terrebonne Parish | 17 | 2 | $980K | 1999–2022 |
| #7 | Jefferson Parish | 16 | 4 | $371K | 1997–2022 |
| #8 | Lafayette Parish | 16 | 0 | $5.6M | 1996–2025 |
| #9 | Calcasieu Parish | 14 | 2 | $1.8M | 1996–2024 |
| #10 | Webster Parish | 14 | 0 | $216K | 1996–2023 |
| #11 | Iberia Parish | 12 | 1 | $900K | 1997–2020 |
| #12 | Lincoln Parish | 11 | 0 | $252K | 1997–2012 |
| #13 | St. Mary Parish | 10 | 0 | $615K | 1998–2025 |
| #14 | Rapides Parish | 10 | 1 | $107K | 1997–2025 |
| #15 | Ouachita Parish | 10 | 0 | $560K | 2000–2025 |
| #16 | Cameron Parish | 10 | 3 | $6K | 1998–2023 |
| #17 | Orleans Parish | 8 | 3 | $220K | 1996–2007 |
| #18 | Jefferson Davis Parish | 8 | 0 | $495K | 1997–2010 |
| #19 | Claiborne Parish | 7 | 0 | $153K | 2001–2019 |
| #20 | Ascension Parish | 6 | 0 | $9K | 1997–2016 |
| #21 | St. Landry Parish | 6 | 0 | $157K | 1996–2013 |
| #22 | Lafourche Parish | 6 | 1 | $245K | 2007–2016 |
| #23 | Vermilion Parish | 6 | 0 | $566K | 1997–2021 |
| #24 | Natchitoches Parish | 6 | 0 | $263K | 1997–2014 |
| #25 | Acadia Parish | 5 | 0 | $63K | 1998–2020 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Louisiana
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2012 | Tangipahoa Parish | — | 2 | 2 |
| Jul 24, 1999 | Terrebonne Parish | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jun 4, 2000 | Orleans Parish | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jan 1, 1996 | Beauregard Parish | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 8, 2004 | Cameron Parish | — | 1 | 3 |
| Jul 18, 2000 | Jefferson Parish | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | St. John the Baptist Parish | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 4, 2002 | Beauregard Parish | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 10, 2013 | Cameron Parish | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 3, 2005 | Jefferson Parish | — | 1 | 0 |