Washington Parish, Louisiana Hurricane History
Since 1875, 47 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington Parish, Louisiana — about one every 3.2 years. Of those, 7 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 12 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 12 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 132 kt (152 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1915) — 1.8 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Camille (1969) — 23.9 miles
- Passes within 25 miles22 of 47
- Peak monthSeptember — 19 storms (40% of all)
- Most active year1971 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1970s and 2000s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi2
- Record span1875–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 12.4 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 46.3 mi | TS / TD | 61 kt |
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 19.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 35.8 mi | Cat 1 | 81 kt |
| Cristobal (2020) | 8 Jun 2020 | 37.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 25 Aug 2008 | 31.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Katrina (2005) | 29 Aug 2005 | 26.7 mi | Cat 2 | 88 kt |
| Bill (2003) | 1 Jul 2003 | 5.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Isidore (2002) | 26 Sep 2002 | 13.4 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 5 Aug 2002 | 20.0 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 11 Jun 2001 | 31.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Hermine (1998) | 20 Sep 1998 | 5.0 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Florence (1988) | 10 Sep 1988 | 36.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Beryl (1988) | 8 Aug 1988 | 34.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Elena (1985) | 2 Sep 1985 | 7.0 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1980) | 21 Jul 1980 | 4.5 mi | TD | — |
| Bob (1979) | 11 Jul 1979 | 13.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 12.1 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 30 Jul 1975 | 31.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 43.4 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Fern (1971) | 5 Sep 1971 | 17.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1971) | 9 Aug 1971 | 36.3 mi | TD | — |
| Camille (1969) | 18 Aug 1969 | 23.9 mi | Cat 3 | 108 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | 4 Oct 1964 | 15.1 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 18 Sep 1957 | 39.2 mi | TS / TD | 45 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 13 Jun 1956 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1955) | 27 Aug 1955 | 48.6 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 4 Sep 1949 | 37.6 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 4 Sep 1948 | 28.5 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 6 Sep 1945 | 5.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 45.3 mi | TS / TD | 19 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 23 Aug 1936 | 38.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 28 Jul 1936 | 2.9 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 21 Sep 1926 | 27.1 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 30 Sep 1915 | 1.8 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1914) | 18 Sep 1914 | 49.7 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 12 Aug 1911 | 6.5 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 10 Oct 1905 | 20.5 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Aug 1894 | 32.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 8 Sep 1893 | 8.7 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 27 Aug 1890 | 32.9 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 24.9 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 7 Oct 1879 | 9.9 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 1 Sep 1879 | 34.0 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 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 | 22.5 mi | 45 kt |
| Lee (2011) | Post-tropical | 5 Sep 2011 | 16.2 mi | 40 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 17 Aug 2010 | 15.5 mi | 22 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 34.9 mi | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1863 | 23.3 mi | 40 kt |
How Washington Parish, Louisiana compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Washington Parish, Louisiana ranks #231 — more exposed than 89.5% of them. Within Louisiana it ranks #19 of 64, against a state average of 37.0 storms per parish.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Camille (1969) passed 24 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 132 kt (152 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 3 Katrina (2005) passed 27 miles away on 29 August 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 96 kt (110 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Elena (1985) passed 7 miles away on 2 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 92 kt (106 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Zeta (2020) passed 36 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 85 kt (98 mph) while within 50 miles.
39 of the 47 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.2 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 47 storms spread over the 151 years from 1875 to 2025. 8 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 2008 and 2020. It has been 1 year since the last one; 27 of the 37 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Washington Parish, Louisiana?
7 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Washington Parish, Louisiana at hurricane strength since 1875. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 47.
When was the last hurricane in Washington Parish, Louisiana?
Ida (2021), on 30 August 2021, passing 46 miles away — 5 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Washington Parish, Louisiana?
Camille (1969), which reached 132 kt (152 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Washington Parish, Louisiana?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.2 years — 47 storms over the 151 years from 1875 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby parishes
Washington Parish, Louisiana borders or sits close to 6 other parishes with a published storm record. Pearl River County, Mississippi has 54 on record.