When we think of some of the most intense and memorable hurricanes to ever hit Louisiana in the state’s history, names like Katrina, Ida, Laura, Betsy and Audrey come to mind. Before hurricanes were given names, there were two powerful storms that struck the state in the 1800s: the 1856 Last Island hurricane and the 1893 Cheniere Caminada hurricane.
Below, we take an interactive look at some of the worst storms to significantly affect our state from earliest to latest.
Our sources include the National Weather Service, The National Hurricane Center, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last Island Hurricane (1856)
►Landfall Date: Aug. 10
►Category: 4
►Landfall Location: Last Island
►Cost: More than $1 million
►Deaths: 198 in Louisiana (300 overall)
►Impacts: This storm was both one of the most deadly and destructive hurricanes to ever hit Louisiana. Wind speeds of 150 mph were estimated by survivors.
There was not much warning of the approaching storm, but many on the island wanted to leave once they knew it was coming. But the only way out was via a ferry that ran a route between the island and New Orleans. The ferry, though, was blown off course, beached and could only rescue those who were swept offshore.
A high storm surge flooded the island, destroying the hotel and the vacation cottages that were there. The surge left the island underwater for several days. Once the waters finally receded, Last Island split into two due to the force of water caused by the storm surge.
As the hurricane moved inland, it demolished Abbeville and drenched New Orleans with heavy rain while killing an additional 200 people in mainland Louisiana.
Cheniere Caminada Hurricane (1893)
►Landfall Date: Oct. 1-2
►Category: 4
►Landfall Location: Cheniere Caminada
►Cost: $5 million
►Deaths: 2,000
►Impacts: Because of the high death toll of 2,000, the Cheniere Caminada hurricane was the deadliest hurricane in Louisiana’s history.
Storm surge heights of 18 feet swept away many homes. Others were either damaged or destroyed.
Video report from Louisiana Public Broadcasting outlines impact of the Cheniere Caminada 100 years after the storm:
A total of 779 of the town’s population of 1,471 died in the storm.
Hurricane Audrey (1957)
►Landfall Date: June 27
►Category: 3
►Landfall Location: Between the mouth of the Sabine River and Cameron
►Cost: $120 million in Louisiana ($150 million total)
►Deaths: 400 in Louisiana (500 total; exact number unknown)
►Impacts: Due to its high death toll, Audrey is the seventh-deadliest hurricane in U.S. history and is the third-deadliest in Louisiana. It was also one of the strongest June hurricanes on record and the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana as well as the U.S.
WDSU Photographer captures Hurricane Audrey’s fury in rarely-seen video:
Many residents were caught off guard and did not have enough time to prepare as Audrey produced a 12-foot storm surge in Cameron along with 125 mph winds. This was responsible for most of the damage and deaths.
► From the meteorologist: What is storm surge, and why it is the primary cause of death for hurricanes
The Weather Bureau office in Lake Charles recorded a peak gust of 97 mph. Farther west into Sulphur, a wind gust of 105 mph was recorded by the Sulphur Louisiana City Services.
Track Hurricane Audrey’s path here.
The highest measured rainfall of 10.63 inches occurred 2 miles west of Basile, Louisiana.
Hurricane Betsy (1965)
►Landfall Date: Sept. 9
►Category: 4
►Landfall Location: Near Grand Isle
►Cost: $1.42 billion total
►Deaths: 58 in Louisiana (81 total)
►Impacts: Up until Katrina, Betsy was southeast Louisiana’s most memorable storm, as it caused catastrophic damage, particularly flooding from storm surge that caused several levees to fail.
Betsy had peak winds of 155 mph just before slamming into the South Shore of New Orleans. As a result of the wind-driven surge, several levees protecting the city failed, and New Orleans suffered catastrophic flooding.
Track Hurricane Betsy’s path here.
Due to the flooding and storm surge, Betsy became one of the most expensive storms up to that date, causing $1.4 billion in damage. It became the first hurricane to accrue $1 billion in damage in the Atlantic Basin.
Former WDSU anchor Norman Robinson reflects on Hurricane Betsy’s destruction amid grim outlook ahead of Hurricane Katrina:
About 164,000 homes were flooded, with most located in the Lower Ninth Ward. After the levees were breached, it took 10 days before the waters finally subsided so that residents could return to their homes.
After the storm’s landfall, President Lyndon B. Johnson visited New Orleans and promised the city federal aid. As a result of the flood and surge damage to New Orleans, the federal government ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assume the responsibility of rebuilding and maintaining the levee system around the city. This is the same massive flood-protection system in New Orleans that failed 40 years later during Hurricane Katrina.
► Get The Facts: How the New Orleans Levee System works
While many of the hazards were focused on flooding and surge, winds of 110 mph were reported in New Orleans and 130 mph winds were reported in Thibodaux, knocking out power.
Surprisingly, no tornadoes were reported in Louisiana during Betsy.
Hurricane Camille (1969)
►Landfall Date: Aug. 17
►Category: 5
►Landfall Location: Waveland, Mississippi
►Cost: $322 million in Louisiana ($1.42 billion total)
►Deaths: 259 total
►Impacts: During the evening of Aug. 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall on the Mississippi coast as a Category 5 storm. It is one of four Category 5 hurricanes to ever make landfall in the continental U.S.
Camille ranks as the second most intense hurricane to strike the continental U.S., with 900 mb pressure and a landfall intensity of 172 mph. Camille ranks just below the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane with 892 mb and 184 mph, while slightly stronger than Hurricane Andrew with 922 mb and 166 mph and Hurricane Michael with 919 mb and 161 mph. The actual maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Camille are not known, as the hurricane destroyed all the wind-recording instruments in the landfall area. Reanalysis data found peak winds of 172 mph along the coast.
Video shows destruction along the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Hurricane Camille:
Southeast Mississippi had the greatest damage due to its proximity to Camille’s path across the state of Mississippi. Winds gusted up to 100 mph across much of southern Mississippi. Moderate wind damage extended inland to Stone and George counties in Mississippi, with minor damage further inland, mainly restricted to fallen trees and power lines.
As for Louisiana, Orleans and Jefferson parishes only had light damage, with power outages, wind damage and flooding being the main impacts. However, a levee did fail along the industrial canal, which was very similar to what happened during Betsy. New Orleans East, though, did not get off so easy. The damage was catastrophic in Tangipahoa, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, St. Bernard and Washington, with the last four declared federal disaster areas by President Richard Nixon.
Plaquemines Parish suffered the worst in Louisiana. Winds reached up to 100 mph. Damage reports were light, though, in areas like Belle Chasse and Port Sulphur. Further south into Plaquemines, the damage was worse. Surging water caused the Mississippi River levee to fail.
Crops were damaged or destroyed, and many animals, including cattle, drowned due to the flooding caused by the storm.
After the storm, thousands of residents were left homeless in Plaquemines Parish and in the Florida parishes.
Hurricane Andrew (1992)
►Landfall Date: Aug. 26
►Category: 3
►Landfall Location: Point Chevreuil
►Cost: Estimated $1 billion in Louisiana ($27.3 billion total)
►Deaths: 7 in Louisiana (65 total)
►Impacts: The strongest winds were measured across Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes. The Berwick, Louisiana, fire station recorded max winds of 95 mph with a peak gust of 120 mph. Morgan City, Louisiana, recorded max winds of 92 mph with a peak gust of 108 mph.
A look back at the devastation left behind by Hurricane Andrew:
The strong winds caused power outages and damage to homes and businesses across south central Louisiana, especially in St. Mary, Iberia and St. Martin parishes. Further inland across Lafayette, Acadia and St. Landry parishes, power outages were widespread due to downed power lines and poles, with extensive tree limb breakage and some trees uprooted. Signs and billboards were damaged or toppled, along with some damage to roofs, mobile homes and lighter structures. In Lafayette Parish, one death was attributed to a traffic incident with no power to the traffic lights. Damage to crops, especially to sugarcane, was extensive. The combination of the high winds defoliating most of the trees, as well as the churned-up bottom water, caused oxygen depletion and massive fish kills across the Atchafalaya Basin.
Track Hurricane Andrew’s path here.
In addition to the damaging winds from Andrew, the hurricane spawned 14 tornadoes in Louisiana, most of them east of the Atchafalaya River across Southeast Louisiana and the rest across Northeast Louisiana. The strongest tornado traveled from Reserve to LaPlace, Louisiana. This tornado was rated an F3, killed two people, injured 32 others, and caused $25 million in damages. Other F0-F1 tornadoes were recorded across Iberville, St. Tammany, Point Coupee, Tangipahoa, Franklin, Union and Madison parishes.
Despite the damaging winds and tornadoes, Louisiana was spared from significant storm surge and flooding from Andrew. The highest storm surge was 5 to 8 feet, which was mainly observed from Cypremort Point, Louisiana, and east across eastern St. Mary Parish, where the eye made landfall. The highest rainfall total in Louisiana was in Hammond with 11.92 inches. West of the Atchafalaya River, rainfall of 5 to 9 inches occurred across south central Louisiana along and east of the path of the storm. Over 9 inches fell in Morgan City.
Hurricane Katrina:
►Landfall Date: Aug. 29, 2005
►Category: 3
►Landfall Location: Near Buras
►Cost: $125 billion total
►Deaths: 341 in Louisiana. (1392 total)
►Impacts: Hurricane Katrina still remains the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history and is one of the five deadliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. It’s also one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history.
Aug. 29, 2005, will forever be a day to remember in Southeast Louisiana history. On that day, Katrina made landfall near Buras as a Category 3 with winds of 125 mph. As it continued northward, it made a second landfall near the Louisiana/Mississippi border while still maintaining Category 3 strength.
The New Orleans metro experienced winds that were mainly in the order of Category 1/2 strength as Katrina continued to move through. These winds were strong enough to cause damage in the New Orleans area, including downtown, where windows in some high-rise buildings were blown out and the roof of the Louisiana Superdome was partially peeled away. The water, however, was the most devastating.
Track Hurricane Katrina’s path here.
Although the highest storm surge was to the east in Mississippi, a significant surge was also felt near and west of where Katrina made landfall. Storm surge levels of 12-16 feet occurred on the northeastern shore in St. Tammany Parish from Slidell to Mandeville. A storm surge of 15 to 19 feet occurred in eastern New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish, while the surge was 10 to 14 feet in western New Orleans along the southern shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The surge severely damaged the levee system in the New Orleans area. Several of the levees and flood walls were overtopped and/or breached at different times on the day of landfall, too. The surge overtopped large sections of the levees east of New Orleans, in Orleans Parish and St. Bernard Parish, and it also pushed water up the Intracoastal Waterway and into the Industrial Canal. Overall, about 80% of New Orleans flooded to varying depths up to about 20 feet within a day or so after landfall. This left thousands of homes and businesses throughout entire neighborhoods in the New Orleans metro area destroyed.
► From the Meteorologist: Why Hurricane Katrina is still the most feared scenario in Louisiana
The scope of human suffering caused by Katrina in the United States has been greater than that of any hurricane to strike the U.S. in several generations.
It is presumed that most of the deaths in Louisiana were caused by the widespread storm surge-induced flooding and its miserable aftermath in New Orleans. Most of the deaths after the storm were of people 60 years of age or older.
Watch again: Hearst Television’s Hurricane Katrina documentary: Seven days that changed New Orleans
Katrina ranks as the third-deadliest hurricane in the United States since 1900 and the deadliest in 77 years.
The economic impacts from Katrina were also devastating, as the storm destroyed workplaces in New Orleans, leaving many without jobs and driving major losses in tax revenue.
Hurricane Gustav (2008)
►Landfall Date: Sept. 1
►Category: 2
►Landfall Location: Cocodrie
►Cost: Estimated $2 billion in Louisiana ($8.3 billion total)
►Deaths: 48 in Louisiana (153 total)
►Impacts: Due to the threat of significant flooding associated with the anticipated landfall of a major hurricane along Louisiana’s coast, widespread evacuations took place in south Louisiana from Aug. 29 through Aug. 31. Preliminary estimates indicate that 1.9 million people evacuated from south Louisiana in advance of Gustav, which made landfall near Cocodrie on Labor Day morning as a strong Category 2 hurricane with max winds of 110 mph.
Gustav was the first time in New Orleans history that a citywide mandatory evacuation was issued.
Track Hurricane Gustav’s path here.
Due to Gustav’s strong winds, damage was significant in areas from the south-central coast of Louisiana through Greater Baton Rouge. Power was knocked out for days, some areas longer, with numerous trees down and other related wind damage. A peak wind speed of about 91 mph was reported at Ryan Field in Baton Rouge, 108 and 117 mph near Houma, Louisiana, and 72 mph at Belle Chasse Naval Air Station. Two fatalities and one injury were the result of high winds toppling a large tree into a house in East Baton Rouge Parish. A 45-year-old woman was also fatally injured in Livingston Parish when high winds toppled a large tree onto her mobile home. Rainbands associated with Gustav continued over the region through Sept. 2.
Tornadoes spawned by Gustav were reported near Abita Springs and Bush in St. Tammany Parish and Westwego in Jefferson Parish. Damage included 35 to 40 structures damaged around Westwego, including 15 total losses.
Watch Louisiana residents scramble to protect their homes before driving in stand-still contraflow during Hurricane Gustav evacuations:
Storm surge was also a significant problem in parts of Louisiana as Gustav moved onshore. Storm tides of 12 feet were measured at Black Bay in Plaquemines Parish, 10.50 feet at the Industrial Canal in Orleans Parish and 9.50 feet at Bayou Dupre in St. Bernard Parish. Major beach erosion was observed near Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish with 4.49 feet of surge and Port Fourchon in Lafourche Parish with 4.48 feet. Additional flooding occurred around lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas as southeast and east winds pushed water into the lakes and parts of St. John the Baptist, Ascension, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany parishes. Storm surge in the tidal lakes also caused water to back up into the rivers that drain into the lakes, including the Amite, Comite, Tickfaw, Natalbany, Tangipahoa, Tchefuncte, Bogue Falaya and Atchafalaya rivers.
Heavy rainfall affected parts of the area, but it was not as severe as the wind and storm surge. Baton Rouge and New Orleans were also affected. In the period from Sunday the 31 through Wednesday the 3, there were reports of 11.22 inches in Brusly, West Baton Rouge Parish, 8.11 inches in Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, and 8.15 inches in Livingston, Livingston Parish.
Hurricane Laura (2020)
►Landfall Date: Aug. 27
►Category: 4
►Landfall Location: Cameron
►Cost: Estimated $14 billion in Louisiana ($19 billion total)
►Deaths: 26 in Louisiana (42 total)
►Impacts: Laura was a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph and a minimum central pressure of 939 mb at landfall in Cameron Parish. This makes Laura the strongest hurricane to strike southwest Louisiana since record-keeping began in 1851. It was also the strongest hurricane (by wind speed at landfall) to hit Louisiana since the 1856 Last Island hurricane.
►Get the Facts: Why the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season was so historic
The eye and eyewall of Laura passed over St. Charles, causing catastrophic damage from winds and storm surge of 12-18 feet. This caused many water systems to fail and damaged the electrical grid, which slowed the recovery efforts. The surge also went as far north as 20-30 mi inland from the coast, reaching the city of Lake Charles itself.
Video shows how Hurricane Laura destroyed Lake Charles during the 2020 hurricane season:
This was the strongest hurricane to affect Southwest Louisiana, with wind damage to buildings and trees and storm surge damage being major to catastrophic across Cameron and Calcasieu parishes. Considerable damage occurred where the core of the hurricane passed across Beauregard and Vernon parishes. Wind damage to trees and structures, as well as damage from the storm surge, occurred in Vermilion and Iberia parishes.
Track Hurricane Laura’s path here.
Due to the severe winds and storm surge, many homes were either damaged or destroyed, especially in Cameron through Lake Charles. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards stated that 10,000 homes were demolished in the state.
Laura’s winds were so strong that they destroyed the Lake Charles National Weather Service radar.
Because of the quick movement of Laura, the heaviest rainfall of 5-11 inches was confined to the eastern and western eyewall, as well as the principal rainband across Jeff Davis, Lafayette and St. Landry parishes. The maximum rainfall, measuring 11.74 inches, occurred 2 miles east-northeast of Starks.
Hurricane Delta (2020)
►Landfall Date: Oct. 9
►Category: 2
►Landfall Location: Creole
►Cost: $2.9 billion total
►Deaths: 2 in Louisiana (6 total)
►Impacts: Hurricane Delta made landfall near Creole, Louisiana, with winds of 100 mph during the evening of Oct. 9, 12 miles east of where Hurricane Laura made landfall just six weeks earlier.
Delta was the ninth named storm of the year to make landfall in the continental United States, tied with 1916. However, the record was eventually broken with the 10th named storm to make landfall in the continental United States, Hurricane Zeta, and the 11th named storm on Nov. 8, Tropical Storm Eta. Delta was also the third named storm to make landfall in Louisiana in a single season, and later tied the record of four (previously set in 2002) on Oct. 28 when Hurricane Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie.
With Southwest Louisiana still in recovery mode after Laura, the winds and rainfall from Delta further delayed the recovery efforts, and in many cases, caused significant additional damage to homes and businesses. Many buildings that had roof or structural damage caused by Laura still had temporary tarping, which was ripped off by the winds of Delta.
Track Hurricane Delta’s path here.
Delta was a large but weakening hurricane at landfall that generated hurricane-force wind gusts from Southeast Texas to south central Louisiana. The highest wind gusts occurred across Cameron, Calcasieu and Jeff Davis parishes.
Storm surge inundated most of Cameron Parish, Vermilion Parish south of Highway 14, and Iberia and St. Mary parishes south of U.S. 90, areas that were severely inundated by Hurricane Laura just six weeks earlier. The highest values of 8-10 feet were observed across the eastern half of Cameron Parish, including Cameron, Creole and Grand Cheniere. Further east across Vermilion, Iberia and Western St. Mary parishes, storm surge inundation was quite similar to Hurricane Laura six weeks earlier, averaging around 5-10 feet mainly along and south of the Intracoastal Canal.
Rainfall of 12-18 inches occurred across Central and Southwest Louisiana where the core of Delta passed over. The highest measured rainfall of 17.57 occurred 3 SSE of Lebleu Settlement, Louisiana, in Calcasieu Parish, causing flooding.
Hurricane Ida (2021)
►Landfall Date: Aug. 29
►Category: 4
►Landfall Location: Lower Lafourche Parish near Port Fourchon
►Cost: Estimated $14 billion ($19 billion total)
►Deaths: 30 in Louisiana
►Impacts: On Aug. 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in lower Lafourche Parish near Port Fourchon at 11:55 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and a minimum central pressure of 930 mb.
This landfall wind intensity is equal to that of Hurricane Laura of August 2020 and the Last Island Hurricane of August 1856, with these three Category 4 storms tied for the strongest on record to make landfall in Louisiana west of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
As Ida came ashore, it produced major hurricane conditions (Category 3 winds or higher) near the landfall location in southeast Louisiana.
The hurricane caused catastrophic damage from wind and storm surge, especially from Dulac to Montegut and the Grand Isle areas of lower Terrebonne and lower Lafourche parishes.
The highest reported sustained wind close to the landfall area was 116 mph from a United States Geological Survey station located 11 miles north-northeast of Grand Isle.
Ida produced a devastating storm surge that penetrated well inland from the immediate coastline across portions of southeast Louisiana, including on both the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and bordering portions of Lake Pontchartrain. Storm surge levels were high enough in some locations to overtop the levees.
Track Hurricane Ida’s path here.
Maximum storm surge inundation levels of 9 to 14 feet above ground level occurred along the east bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, where USGS gauges at American Bay near Pointe a la Hache and Black Bay recorded water levels of 11.5 feet.
Drone footage shows widespread damage from Hurricane Ida:
Thousands of buildings were damaged by Ida’s winds and surge. The worst hit areas were the coastal portions of Lafourche and Jefferson parishes, where almost every structure was damaged, and many in the town of Leeville and on Grand Isle were destroyed.
Between 10-13 inches of rain fell over Southeast Louisiana from Ida.
Preparing for hurricane season:
READ MORE:Interactive: A look at the worst hurricanes to hit Louisiana
