St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1856, 37 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana — about one every 4.6 years. Of those, 11 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Delta (2020), which passed 35 miles away on 10 October 2020.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentDelta (2020) — 35 mi away, 10 October 2020
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1909) — 91 kt (105 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordBeryl (1988) — 1.3 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles21 of 37
- Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (43% of all)
- Most active year1926 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1930s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1856–2020
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta (2020) | 10 Oct 2020 | 35.3 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Barry (2019) | 13 Jul 2019 | 47.1 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Isaac (2012) | 30 Aug 2012 | 26.8 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Lee (2011) | 4 Sep 2011 | 22.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Gustav (2008) | 1 Sep 2008 | 9.8 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Lili (2002) | 3 Oct 2002 | 23.8 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 6 Aug 2002 | 27.7 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 26 Aug 1992 | 21.0 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Beryl (1988) | 10 Aug 1988 | 1.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Juan (1985) | 29 Oct 1985 | 20.3 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Danny (1985) | 15 Aug 1985 | 30.9 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 48.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Carmen (1974) | 8 Sep 1974 | 31.5 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 19.2 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1966) | 27 Jul 1966 | 19.3 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Betsy (1965) | 10 Sep 1965 | 19.0 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | 4 Oct 1964 | 48.9 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 31 May 1959 | 37.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 27 Aug 1955 | 14.3 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 19 Sep 1947 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 8.1 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 3 Oct 1937 | 5.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 16 Jun 1934 | 33.5 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 19 Sep 1932 | 22.0 mi | TS / TD | 46 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1931) | 15 Jul 1931 | 29.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 22 Sep 1926 | 5.8 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 26 Aug 1926 | 9.3 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1920) | 22 Sep 1920 | 19.1 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 39.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 13 Aug 1911 | 29.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 21 Sep 1909 | 28.1 mi | Cat 2 | 83 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 29 Sep 1905 | 9.2 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 20 Sep 1898 | 28.6 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 23.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 24.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 11 Aug 1856 | 10.5 mi | TS / TD | 52 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 | 15 Sep 2021 | 35.2 mi | 25 kt |
| Beta (2020) | Post-tropical | 24 Sep 2020 | 28.6 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | Post-tropical | 30 Sep 1863 | 27.0 mi | 40 kt |
How St. Landry 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. Landry Parish, Louisiana ranks #383 — more exposed than 82.6% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #30 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1909) passed 28 miles away on 21 September 1909 as a hurricane, reaching 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1856) passed 11 miles away on 11 August 1856 as a tropical storm, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Andrew (1992) passed 21 miles away on 26 August 1992 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Carmen (1974) passed 32 miles away on 8 September 1974 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
32 of the 37 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 37 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025. 4 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 19 years, between 1856 and 1875. It has been 5 years since the last one; 12 of the 32 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit St. Landry Parish, Louisiana?
11 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 37.
When was the last hurricane in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana?
Delta (2020), on 10 October 2020, passing 35 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Delta (2020) in 2020.
What was the strongest storm to affect St. Landry Parish, Louisiana?
Unnamed Storm (1909), which reached 91 kt (105 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 28 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit St. Landry Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.6 years — 37 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
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 6 other parishes with a published storm record. Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana has 43 on record.