Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1855, 59 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 24 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ida (2021), which passed 37 miles away on 29 August 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 5 · 1Cat 4 · 4Cat 3 · 3Cat 2 · 3Cat 1 · 13TS / TD · 35

The 59 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentIda (2021) — 37 mi away, 29 August 2021
Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 145 kt (167 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordKatrina (2005) — 1.9 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Katrina (2005) — 1.9 miles
Passes within 25 miles31 of 59
Peak monthSeptember — 26 storms (44% of all)
Most active year1885 — 3 storms
Most active decade1970s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi8
Record span1855–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, September is the most active month, with 26 of the 59 recorded storms (44%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 85% of all activity. The 1970s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 8 of the 59 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	3	6	15	26	9	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 14 storms in 1950–1987 against 13 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
2	5	4	5	3	2	1	2	3	5	2	4	7	3	1	5	2	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Ida (2021)	29 Aug 2021	36.9 mi	Cat 4	130 kt
Marco (2020)	25 Aug 2020	29.1 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Cristobal (2020)	7 Jun 2020	13.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Nate (2017)	8 Oct 2017	25.6 mi	Cat 1	73 kt
Isaac (2012)	29 Aug 2012	20.9 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Katrina (2005)	29 Aug 2005	1.9 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Cindy (2005)	6 Jul 2005	29.8 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Isidore (2002)	26 Sep 2002	36.5 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Hanna (2002)	14 Sep 2002	31.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (2002)	5 Aug 2002	15.7 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Danny (1997)	18 Jul 1997	6.0 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Florence (1988)	10 Sep 1988	9.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Beryl (1988)	9 Aug 1988	19.6 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Juan (1985)	31 Oct 1985	9.2 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1978)	10 Aug 1978	17.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1977)	25 Oct 1977	28.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	24 Sep 1976	22.5 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1975)	29 Jul 1975	32.1 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Fern (1971)	4 Sep 1971	9.3 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	1 Sep 1971	32.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	9 Aug 1971	13.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Camille (1969)	18 Aug 1969	35.6 mi	Cat 5	140 kt
Unnamed Storm (1966)	26 Jul 1966	38.3 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Debbie (1965)	29 Sep 1965	34.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Betsy (1965)	10 Sep 1965	26.6 mi	Cat 4	115 kt
Flossy (1956)	24 Sep 1956	16.5 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Brenda (1955)	1 Aug 1955	26.9 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	4 Sep 1948	42.8 mi	Cat 1	64 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	19 Sep 1947	22.4 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	22 Aug 1947	44.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1946)	15 Jun 1946	39.2 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1944)	10 Sep 1944	10.7 mi	TS / TD	55 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	26 Sep 1939	25.3 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1937)	19 Sep 1937	20.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	27 Jul 1936	37.6 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	17 Oct 1923	36.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	20.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	29 Sep 1915	42.0 mi	Cat 3	97 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	14 Aug 1901	1.9 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	13 Sep 1900	9.9 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	15 Aug 1895	1.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	2 Oct 1893	13.0 mi	Cat 3	110 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	12 Sep 1892	42.2 mi	TS / TD	46 kt
Unnamed Storm (1889)	23 Sep 1889	5.9 mi	Cat 1	68 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	19 Oct 1887	28.4 mi	TS / TD	63 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	26 Sep 1885	39.4 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	21 Sep 1885	22.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	30 Aug 1885	19.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	7 Oct 1879	16.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1877)	19 Sep 1877	18.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	26 Sep 1875	42.2 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	11 Jul 1872	29.3 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1869)	5 Sep 1869	24.4 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1868)	4 Oct 1868	28.5 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1867)	5 Oct 1867	5.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	15 Sep 1860	1.9 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	11 Aug 1860	22.7 mi	Cat 3	105 kt
Unnamed Storm (1859)	15 Sep 1859	45.2 mi	Cat 1	70 kt
Unnamed Storm (1855)	16 Sep 1855	5.8 mi	Cat 3	110 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
Five (2010)	Remnant low	12 Aug 2010	44.5 mi	25 kt
Bonnie (2010)	Remnant low	25 Jul 2010	5.6 mi	24 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1855–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the parish's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana ranks #120 — more exposed than 94.6% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #4 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Camille (1969) passed 36 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Ida (2021) passed 37 miles away on 29 August 2021 as a hurricane, reaching 130 kt (150 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Katrina (2005) passed 2 miles away on 29 August 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 119 kt (137 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 4 Betsy (1965) passed 27 miles away on 10 September 1965 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.

48 of the 59 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 59 storms spread over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025. 10 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 14 years, between 1901 and 1915. It has been 4 years since the last one; 14 of the 45 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana?

24 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1855. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 59.

When was the last hurricane in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana?

Ida (2021), on 29 August 2021, passing 37 miles away — 5 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ida (2021) in 2021.

What was the strongest storm to affect Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana?

Camille (1969), which reached 145 kt (167 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 36 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 59 storms over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.

Nearby parishes

Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 4 other parishes with a published storm record. Lafourche Parish, Louisiana has 65 on record.

Lafourche Parish, Louisiana65 storms within 50 mi Jefferson Parish, Louisiana64 storms within 50 mi St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana59 storms within 50 mi Orleans Parish, Louisiana53 storms within 50 mi