Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1863, 38 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana — about one every 4.3 years. Of those, 13 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicholas (2021), which passed 3 miles away on 15 September 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentNicholas (2021) — 3 mi away, 15 September 2021
- Strongest stormLaura (2020) — 130 kt (150 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordNicholas (2021) — 3.0 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Laura (2020) — 4.3 miles
- Passes within 25 miles18 of 38
- Peak monthSeptember — 17 storms (45% of all)
- Most active year1886 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1970s — 5 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi5
- Record span1863–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas (2021) | 15 Sep 2021 | 3.0 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Delta (2020) | 10 Oct 2020 | 28.8 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Laura (2020) | 27 Aug 2020 | 4.3 mi | Cat 4 | 115 kt |
| Barry (2019) | 14 Jul 2019 | 34.7 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Harvey (2017) | 30 Aug 2017 | 3.2 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Cindy (2017) | 22 Jun 2017 | 24.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Humberto (2007) | 13 Sep 2007 | 14.9 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Rita (2005) | 24 Sep 2005 | 33.6 mi | Cat 1 | 82 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 24 Sep 2004 | 33.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (2000) | 9 Sep 2000 | 39.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Danny (1985) | 15 Aug 1985 | 42.4 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Chris (1982) | 11 Sep 1982 | 15.2 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Claudette (1979) | 24 Jul 1979 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 41 kt |
| Debra (1978) | 29 Aug 1978 | 7.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Carmen (1974) | 8 Sep 1974 | 32.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 49.4 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 7 Jul 1971 | 43.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Bertha (1957) | 10 Aug 1957 | 44.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Audrey (1957) | 27 Jun 1957 | 14.6 mi | Cat 2 | 95 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 27 Aug 1955 | 19.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Barbara (1954) | 29 Jul 1954 | 5.5 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1946) | 16 Jun 1946 | 44.5 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 20.7 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1938) | 15 Aug 1938 | 8.1 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 22 Sep 1926 | 42.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 27 Aug 1926 | 45.0 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1918) | 6 Aug 1918 | 6.8 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 19 Sep 1914 | 16.8 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 1 Aug 1908 | 28.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 20 Sep 1898 | 41.6 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 13 Sep 1897 | 42.8 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 7 Oct 1895 | 43.6 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 13 Oct 1886 | 15.7 mi | Cat 1 | 73 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 14 Jun 1886 | 8.6 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 15 Sep 1882 | 34.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 27.0 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1865) | 13 Sep 1865 | 6.8 mi | Cat 1 | 77 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | 30 Sep 1863 | 20.5 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 2 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (2020) | Post-tropical | 23 Sep 2020 | 16.4 mi | 25 kt |
| Allison (1989) | Post-tropical | 28 Jun 1989 | 36.7 mi | 25 kt |
How Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana ranks #363 — more exposed than 83.6% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #29 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Laura (2020) passed 4 miles away on 27 August 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Audrey (1957) passed 15 miles away on 27 June 1957 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1918) passed 7 miles away on 6 August 1918 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 16 miles away on 13 October 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
31 of the 38 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.3 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 38 storms spread over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025. 6 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 15 years, between 1985 and 2000. It has been 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 31 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana?
13 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1863. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 38.
When was the last hurricane in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana?
Delta (2020), on 10 October 2020, passing 29 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Nicholas (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana?
Laura (2020), which reached 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 4 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.3 years — 38 storms over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby parishes
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 5 other parishes with a published storm record. Cameron Parish, Louisiana has 41 on record.