Iberia Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1856, 39 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Iberia Parish, Louisiana — about one every 4.4 years. Of those, 18 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 39 miles away on 11 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 39 mi away, 11 September 2024
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1856) — 126 kt (145 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1932) — 3.5 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Carmen (1974) — 10.8 miles
- Passes within 25 miles20 of 39
- Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (41% of all)
- Most active year1905 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1900s, 1930s, 1970s and 2000s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi5
- Record span1856–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 11 Sep 2024 | 38.9 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Barry (2019) | 13 Jul 2019 | 17.1 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Lee (2011) | 4 Sep 2011 | 11.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Gustav (2008) | 1 Sep 2008 | 29.6 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Lili (2002) | 3 Oct 2002 | 22.7 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 7 Aug 2002 | 17.6 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 11 Jun 2001 | 14.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 26 Aug 1992 | 19.4 mi | Cat 2 | 95 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 30 Oct 1985 | 12.0 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 5 Sep 1977 | 19.8 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Carmen (1974) | 8 Sep 1974 | 10.8 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 40.8 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 7 Jul 1971 | 42.1 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1966) | 27 Jul 1966 | 10.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | 4 Oct 1964 | 21.6 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 30 May 1959 | 13.7 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Bertha (1957) | 9 Aug 1957 | 47.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Barbara (1954) | 29 Jul 1954 | 48.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1946) | 15 Jun 1946 | 43.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1943) | 20 Sep 1943 | 12.0 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 7 Aug 1940 | 40.9 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 3 Oct 1937 | 9.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 16 Jun 1934 | 8.6 mi | Cat 2 | 85 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 19 Sep 1932 | 3.5 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1931) | 15 Jul 1931 | 43.5 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1920) | 22 Sep 1920 | 40.9 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 28.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 12.2 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 21 Sep 1909 | 32.1 mi | Cat 3 | 96 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 31 Jul 1908 | 8.1 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 9 Oct 1905 | 26.7 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 29 Sep 1905 | 39.5 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1897) | 12 Sep 1897 | 27.3 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 1 Sep 1879 | 27.6 mi | Cat 3 | 110 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1877) | 18 Sep 1877 | 43.4 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1867) | 4 Oct 1867 | 35.0 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1865) | 7 Sep 1865 | 11.5 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 2 Oct 1860 | 27.4 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 11 Aug 1856 | 15.9 mi | Cat 3 | 110 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas (2021) | Remnant low | 16 Sep 2021 | 8.6 mi | 22 kt |
| Marco (2020) | Remnant low | 25 Aug 2020 | 44.5 mi | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | Post-tropical | 30 Sep 1863 | 41.0 mi | 40 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Iberia Parish, Louisiana more than once.
- Bertha — 2 passes (1957, 2002)
How Iberia Parish, Louisiana compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Iberia Parish, Louisiana ranks #339 — more exposed than 84.6% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #27 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Unnamed Storm (1856) passed 16 miles away on 11 August 1856 as a hurricane, reaching 126 kt (145 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 4 Andrew (1992) passed 19 miles away on 26 August 1992 as a hurricane, reaching 120 kt (138 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 28 miles away on 1 September 1879 as a hurricane, reaching 110 kt (127 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Carmen (1974) passed 11 miles away on 8 September 1974 as a hurricane, reaching 109 kt (125 mph) while within 50 miles.
32 of the 39 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 39 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025. 3 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 18 years, between 1879 and 1897. It has been 1 year since the last one; 32 of the 35 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Iberia Parish, Louisiana?
18 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Iberia Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 39.
When was the last hurricane in Iberia Parish, Louisiana?
Francine (2024), on 11 September 2024, passing 39 miles away — 2 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Iberia Parish, Louisiana?
Unnamed Storm (1856), which reached 126 kt (145 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 16 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Iberia Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.4 years — 39 storms over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby parishes
Iberia Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 6 other parishes with a published storm record. St. Mary Parish, Louisiana has 51 on record.