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Tornado History

Rapides Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Rapides, Louisiana. The records below identify 81 tornadoes from 1951 through 2026, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $44.2M, with 5 deaths and 58 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes81
Total Deaths5
Total Injuries58
Property Damage$44.2M
Avg Length4.1 mi
Avg Width160 yd

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Key Tornado Facts for Rapides, Louisiana

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 1.1 tornadoes per year (2.9/yr in last decade)
December is the peak tornado month with 18 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in Rapides, Louisiana with 3 deaths
2017 was the most active year with 6 tornadoes
The 2010s had the most tornado activity (27 events)
Longest tornado: 30.22 miles in Rapides, Louisiana
Widest tornado: 800.0 yards in Rapides, Louisiana
Most tornadoes in one day: 5 on Oct 31, 2018

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Rapides, Louisiana, December is the most active month with 18 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

6420

Summary: 2017 was the most active year with 6 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EF3
F4

Summary: EF1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 27 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$22.3M$2.2M$223K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2019 with at least $22.3M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 December 3, 19531953F4 December 3, 19531953EF3 December 16, 20192019F3 November 7, 19571957F3 June 5, 19811981F3 January 6, 19511951EF2 December 25, 20122012EF2 December 25, 20122012F2 January 21, 19991999EF2 April 22, 20202020EF2 October 31, 20182018F2 April 29, 19751975F2 March 30, 19761976F2 June 5, 19811981EF2 April 2, 2017EF2 December 16, 2019EF2 April 22, 2020F2 October 23, 1957F2 June 5, 1981F2 November 19, 1991F2 November 21, 1992EF2 October 31, 2018F2 November 13, 1957EF1 April 2, 2017EF1 December 9, 2008F1 June 12, 1982F1 February 20, 1989F1 February 20, 1989EF1 January 2, 2017EF1 December 9, 2008EF1 March 8, 2011EF1 March 28, 2014EF1 April 22, 2020EF1 April 22, 2020EF1 December 13, 2022EF1 December 26, 2024EF1 December 26, 2024EF1 October 31, 2015EF1 January 2, 2017EF1 June 20, 2019EF1 September 3, 2008EF1 December 13, 2022EF1 April 7, 2021F1 April 12, 1974F1 August 18, 1974F1 April 19, 1977F1 December 21, 1990F1 May 16, 1992EF1 June 20, 2019EF1 May 30, 2024EF1 March 4, 2025EF1 December 21, 2015EF1 December 21, 2015EF1 October 31, 2018EF1 October 31, 2018EF1 April 2, 2017EF1 October 31, 2018F1 May 21, 1984F1 December 27, 1982F1 January 18, 1995EF1 March 8, 2011EF0 January 25, 2012EF0 January 25, 2012EF0 January 25, 2012EF0 March 27, 2009EF0 March 8, 2011EF0 February 14, 2026F0 September 12, 1998F0 January 29, 1999F0 October 3, 2002F0 October 3, 2002F0 April 14, 1996F0 June 5, 1981F0 November 19, 1983EF0 February 14, 2026F0 December 3, 1964F0 December 5, 1983F0 July 1, 1987F0 July 4, 1988EF0 April 2, 2017© OpenStreetMap contributors

Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
December 3, 1953F4Rapides, Louisiana28.8 mi300 yd010$2.5M
December 3, 1953F4Rapides, Louisiana4.1 mi300 yd00$2.5M
December 16, 2019EF3Rapides, Louisiana30.22 mi525 yd00$22.0M
November 7, 1957F3Rapides, Louisiana13.3 mi67 yd316$2.5M
June 5, 1981F3Rapides, Louisiana4.3 mi40 yd010$2.5M
January 6, 1951F3Rapides, Louisiana9.5 mi317 yd011$250K
December 25, 2012EF2Rapides, Louisiana4.62 mi500 yd01$2.0M
December 25, 2012EF2Rapides, Louisiana0.77 mi200 yd00$2.0M
April 22, 2020EF2Rapides, Louisiana8.98 mi550 yd10$1.0M
January 21, 1999F2Rapides, Louisiana2 mi400 yd01$1.0M
October 31, 2018EF2Rapides, Louisiana16.01 mi500 yd00$750K
April 29, 1975F2Rapides, Louisiana2 mi50 yd03$250K

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Source And Limits

Data source: NOAA/NCEI. TornadoTrace summarizes historical records for screening and research. Coordinates, damage estimates, narratives, and event details can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. Do not use this page as legal, insurance, engineering, real estate, emergency management, or safety advice.