St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1860, 49 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana — about one every 3.4 years. Of those, 15 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 4 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 4 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormIda (2021) — 118 kt (136 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordBeryl (1988) — 3.1 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Ida (2021) — 10.5 miles
- Passes within 25 miles26 of 49
- Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (41% of all)
- Most active year1971 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1970s — 7 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
- Record span1860–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 10.5 mi | Cat 2 | 92 kt |
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 10.6 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 28 Oct 2020 | 28.7 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Cristobal (2020) | 8 Jun 2020 | 14.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Isaac (2012) | 29 Aug 2012 | 32.2 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 46.0 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Matthew (2004) | 10 Oct 2004 | 25.0 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Bill (2003) | 30 Jun 2003 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Isidore (2002) | 26 Sep 2002 | 36.7 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 5 Aug 2002 | 30.8 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 11 Jun 2001 | 10.0 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Hermine (1998) | 20 Sep 1998 | 10.1 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Florence (1988) | 10 Sep 1988 | 17.1 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Beryl (1988) | 9 Aug 1988 | 3.1 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Bob (1979) | 11 Jul 1979 | 8.5 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 32.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 17 Oct 1975 | 29.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 30 Jul 1975 | 22.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Fern (1971) | 6 Sep 1971 | 18.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 1 Sep 1971 | 29.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 9 Aug 1971 | 15.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Betsy (1965) | 10 Sep 1965 | 30.5 mi | Cat 2 | 90 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | 4 Oct 1964 | 30.1 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 18 Sep 1957 | 15.0 mi | TS / TD | 51 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 13 Jun 1956 | 7.6 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 27 Aug 1955 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 1 Aug 1955 | 27.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 4 Sep 1949 | 16.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 4 Sep 1948 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 19 Sep 1947 | 12.9 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 23 Aug 1936 | 31.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 27 Jul 1936 | 17.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1931) | 15 Jul 1931 | 43.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 22 Sep 1926 | 24.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 26 Aug 1926 | 34.8 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 16 Oct 1923 | 32.8 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1920) | 22 Sep 1920 | 49.2 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 30 Sep 1915 | 17.6 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 7.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 30.3 mi | TS / TD | 51 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 9 Oct 1905 | 21.0 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 7 Sep 1893 | 9.9 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 12 Sep 1892 | 38.6 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 27 Aug 1890 | 12.6 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 20 Aug 1888 | 26.5 mi | Cat 1 | 73 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 1 Sep 1879 | 27.7 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1869) | 5 Sep 1869 | 4.0 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 2 Oct 1860 | 44.5 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olga (2019) | Post-tropical | 26 Oct 2019 | 9.8 mi | 45 kt |
| Lee (2011) | Post-tropical | 5 Sep 2011 | 27.0 mi | 38 kt |
| Bonnie (2010) | Remnant low | 25 Jul 2010 | 19.9 mi | 18 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 20.5 mi | 49 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1863 | 19.9 mi | 40 kt |
How St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana ranks #213 — more exposed than 90.3% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #18 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Ida (2021) passed 11 miles away on 30 August 2021 as a hurricane, reaching 118 kt (136 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Zeta (2020) passed 29 miles away on 28 October 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Betsy (1965) passed 30 miles away on 10 September 1965 as a hurricane, reaching 95 kt (109 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1915) passed 18 miles away on 30 September 1915 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
41 of the 49 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.4 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 49 storms spread over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025. 9 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 12 years, between 1893 and 1905. It has been 1 year since the last one; 26 of the 38 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana?
15 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1860. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 49.
When was the last hurricane in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana?
Francine (2024), on 12 September 2024, passing 4 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 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana?
Ida (2021), which reached 118 kt (136 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 11 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.4 years — 49 storms over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby parishes
St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 5 other parishes with a published storm record. Lafourche Parish, Louisiana has 65 on record.