Jackson Parish

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Jackson Parish: 5.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 8, 2019Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-1 tornado with maximum estimated winds near 110 mph that was embedded within a squall line touched down on Poda Road where several trees were snapped. The tornado continued east, crossing Dewberry Road and Northstar Lane where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado then crossed Caney Lake Reservoir and into Jimmie Davis State Park, where it snapped and uprooted numerous hardwood and softwood trees. Some of the trees fell into multiple campers and approximately three-fourths of the cabins in the park. The tornado lifted as it exited the north end of the State Park.

2. Jan 2, 2023Tornado$850,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-2 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 120 mph touched down just north of the Jackson/Winn Parish line along Highway 167 and moved northeast across Firetower Section Road and Highway 147/Walker Road, where numerous trees were snapped. On Walker Road, the tornado caused roof damage to a chicken house and some manufactured homes. The most significant damage on Walker Road occurred just north of its intersection with Whitman Road where a single-wide manufactured home, which was anchored into the ground, was flipped and rolled off of its foundation, destroying most of its roof and walls, but leaving the undercarriage attached. The tornado snapped and uprooted more trees and…

3. Mar 8, 2016Flash Flood$560,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 5-day heavy rainfall event resulted in massive flooding across all of Jackson Parish in Northern Louisiana. Some of the more impressive 5 day totals across the parish were as follows: Quitman: 15.50, Jonesboro: 14.75. The Louisiana National Guard was deployed by the Governor of Louisiana to assist local law enforcement in the massive response to the prolonged flooding event. These operations included evacuations, search and rescue, distribution and supply of water and meals, security and shelter support and distribution of sandbags and sandbag filling machines. In addition, 36 high water vehicles and 16 boats were called in to assist in the effort. Numerous roads were inundated…

4. Apr 9, 2009Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This storm developed in a wooded area along and east of Olive Grove Road in Jackson Parish where several small pine trees were snapped. Further east along Hwy 144 north of Eros, numerous large trees were snapped and a nearby home sustained roof damage. A barn in a field nearby also sustained significant roof damage. The tornado tracked east into Ouachita Parish, snapping and uprooting trees as well as causing minor roof damage to nearby homes along Guyton Loop Road. The tornado crossed Hwy 34, and moved onto Old Jonesboro Road where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. One tree was physically moved 30 feet with the root ball intact, leaving a large hole in its original…

5. Mar 24, 2009Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EFI tornado occurred from one mile west northwest of Jonesboro to one mile north of Jonesboro. Damage consisted of several trees and power lines uprooted along the path. Portions of the Jonesboro Hodge High School was hit by the storm where portions of the school's roof was peeled off. Some windows at the school were also broken out. Some buildings adjacent to the school were destroyed. Two homes on Templeton Road were damaged. One lost a roof while the other was damaged by an uprooted tree.

6. Apr 4, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A home and a local church was destroyed by falling trees in town. A large tree was snapped in front of Moss Home Health in Jonesboro. In addition...several large trees were downed between the Jonesboro and Hodge communities. Trees were also downed in front of the Hodge Bank.|Numerous trees were also downed near the Jonesboro area. Some of the worst damage was on Polk Avenue where a huge oak tree hundreds of years fell and just missed a home in town. Trees also fell on Hickory Street, Walker Road and Northeast Street. One home was severly damaged when a tree fell through it.

7. Jun 15, 2007Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Most roads in the Quitman...Jonesboro and Hodge were flooded...especially US Hwy 167 which had to be closed. Several parish roads were underwater including Hwy 4 west. Numerous homes and businesses in town were flooded as well including up to a dozen homes and at least 5 local businesses. Some of the local streets flooded included Sixth Street, Hill Street and Stinson Drive.

8. Feb 10, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous reports of trees and powerlines down. Some homes were damaged by fallen trees and one mobile home was rolled by the high winds with 2 people inside. Two children ages 12 and 4 were inside. The mobile home was said to be secured to the ground.

9. Apr 23, 2000Tornado$175,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A supercell produced a brief tornado as part of a large tornado outgbreak across North Louisiana. Damage consisted mostly of several large trees uprooted in town. One old wood frame structure was completely destroyed while similar structures adjacent were untouched. Some shingle damage to homes was also observed. One person was cut by flying glass as the tornado moved by.

10. Jul 5, 2001Lightning$155,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning hit the electric meter and energized every piece of wiring in the home according to the Jonesboro Fire Chief. One piece of wire in the attic sent fire from one end of the home to the other. The home was 4 years old and totally destroyed. The owner was able to save some personal belongings by entering the rapidly burning building.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

109°F3 times, most recently Sep 3, 2000

All-time low

1°FFeb 16, 2021

Warmest night

81°F4 times, most recently Aug 10, 2023

Coldest day

16°FDec 25, 1983

Wettest day

10.25 inMay 7, 1978

Snowiest day

3.8 inJan 30, 1977

Hottest year

2023mean 67.5°F

Coldest year

1983mean 62.5°F

Wettest year

198984.01 in

Driest year

201033.50 in

Station Bienville 3 Ne (USC00160800), 307 ft elevation, 18.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1972 to October 25, 2026; 97.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00160800.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.