A severe thunderstorm that moved through Baton Rouge early Monday morning produced a wind gust of 78 mph at Baton Rouge Metro Airport. This ties for the third-highest wind gust recorded at the airport since records began in 1942.
While strong wind gusts over 60 mph are not uncommon in the region, they typically occur in isolated locations and are not always captured by official weather observation stations. Monday’s storm, however, produced an exceptionally strong gust directly over the airport, ranking among the most significant wind events ever recorded there.
Notably, three of the top five highest wind gusts in Baton Rouge history occurred on September 1, 2008, during Hurricane Gustav, with the highest gust reaching 91 mph. It is worth noting that the top gust occurred twice during Gustav, just minutes apart from one another. Unlike Monday’s isolated severe thunderstorm, Gustav was a large and intense hurricane that impacted the entire region, leading to widespread tree and powerline damage. Monday's storm storm pales in comparison to the destruction caused by Gustav due to the sheer size and scale of a hurricane.
A Severe T-Storm Warning was issued for this thunderstorm approximately 10 minutes before the gust. Several other warnings were issued to the west as the line approached. Always remain weather-aware and take appropriate precautions during warned storms. The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on your Apple or Android device. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and X for even more weather updates while you are on the go.
