Cameron Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1863, 41 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cameron Parish, Louisiana — about one every 4.0 years. Of those, 15 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Nicholas (2021), which passed 29 miles away on 15 September 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentNicholas (2021) — 29 mi away, 15 September 2021
- Strongest stormLaura (2020) — 130 kt (150 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1918) — 5.4 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Unnamed Storm (1918) — 5.4 miles
- Passes within 25 miles18 of 41
- Peak monthSeptember — 18 storms (44% of all)
- Most active year1886 — 2 storms
- Most active decade2000s — 6 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 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas (2021) | 15 Sep 2021 | 28.6 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Delta (2020) | 9 Oct 2020 | 6.3 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Laura (2020) | 27 Aug 2020 | 9.5 mi | Cat 4 | 130 kt |
| Barry (2019) | 13 Jul 2019 | 38.9 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Harvey (2017) | 30 Aug 2017 | 17.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Cindy (2017) | 22 Jun 2017 | 32.5 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Lee (2011) | 4 Sep 2011 | 47.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Edouard (2008) | 5 Aug 2008 | 45.8 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Humberto (2007) | 13 Sep 2007 | 39.4 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Rita (2005) | 24 Sep 2005 | 34.2 mi | Cat 3 | 100 kt |
| Ivan (2004) | 24 Sep 2004 | 18.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 7 Aug 2002 | 42.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (2000) | 9 Sep 2000 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 28 Oct 1985 | 40.7 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Danny (1985) | 15 Aug 1985 | 28.3 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Chris (1982) | 11 Sep 1982 | 34.7 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Danielle (1980) | 5 Sep 1980 | 35.5 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Claudette (1979) | 24 Jul 1979 | 44.1 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Debra (1978) | 29 Aug 1978 | 21.1 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 23.6 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 7 Jul 1971 | 25.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Bertha (1957) | 10 Aug 1957 | 23.7 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Audrey (1957) | 27 Jun 1957 | 30.4 mi | Cat 3 | 102 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 27 Aug 1955 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Barbara (1954) | 29 Jul 1954 | 8.2 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1946) | 16 Jun 1946 | 27.6 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1941) | 14 Sep 1941 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 5.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 7 Aug 1940 | 31.4 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1938) | 15 Aug 1938 | 14.9 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1918) | 6 Aug 1918 | 5.4 mi | Cat 3 | 105 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 19 Sep 1914 | 9.1 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 1 Aug 1908 | 32.0 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 29 Sep 1905 | 38.7 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 20 Sep 1898 | 22.4 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 13 Sep 1897 | 22.9 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 12 Oct 1886 | 20.7 mi | Cat 3 | 105 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 14 Jun 1886 | 32.9 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1882) | 15 Sep 1882 | 22.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1865) | 13 Sep 1865 | 14.9 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | 30 Sep 1863 | 6.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 1 system 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 | 42.3 mi | 25 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Cameron Parish, Louisiana more than once.
- Bertha — 2 passes (1957, 2002)
How Cameron Parish, Louisiana compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Cameron Parish, Louisiana ranks #304 — more exposed than 86.2% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #25 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Laura (2020) passed 9 miles away on 27 August 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Audrey (1957) passed 30 miles away on 27 June 1957 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1918) passed 5 miles away on 6 August 1918 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1886) passed 21 miles away on 12 October 1886 as a hurricane, reaching 105 kt (121 mph) while within 50 miles.
33 of the 41 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 41 storms spread over the 163 years from 1863 to 2025. 7 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 20 years, between 1918 and 1938. It has been 4 years since the last one; 11 of the 33 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Cameron Parish, Louisiana?
15 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Cameron Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1863. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 41.
When was the last hurricane in Cameron Parish, Louisiana?
Delta (2020), on 9 October 2020, passing 6 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 Cameron Parish, Louisiana?
Laura (2020), which reached 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 9 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Cameron Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.0 years — 41 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
Cameron Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 5 other parishes with a published storm record. Jefferson County, Texas has 46 on record.