Tornadoes can and do occur in the state of Louisiana, according to 973thedawg.com, usually touching down between the hours of 3 and 4 in the afternoon, and averaging about 300 feet wide, traveling a path of about four miles. Fox8live.com reports that the number of tornadoes each decade has been increasing in the state of Louisiana since 1950. This phenomenon is generally attributed to warmer Gulf waters. Between 1950 and 1973, there were about 17 tornadoes each year in Louisiana.