National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

30th Anniversary of the Bossier City Tornado

In the early morning hours of December 3, 1978, much of the Four State Region was affected by severe weather as a cold front moved through the area. Tornadoes affected parts of Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, and Union Parishes in Louisiana, as well as Columbia and Union Counties in Arkansas. The most destructive of these tornadoes, rated an F4 on the Fujita Scale, cut an 8 mile long path across Bossier City and resulted in 266 injuries, but miraculously, only 2 fatalities.

One of the worst tornadoes in Northwest Louisiana history, this webpage was developed in order to commemorate the event and help remember those affected by this devastating storm.

An Overview of the 1978 Bossier City Tornado Storm Track (1.9MB)

A Meteorological Discussion of the Weather Pattern Leading Up to the Event (1MB)

What if This Same Storm Happened Today? (1.2MB)

Photos Related to the Event (34.5MB)

Downloadable Shapefiles of the Storm Track and Locations Affected

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