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Tunica County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 155 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,680 nationally and #79 in Mississippi.
155
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$1.0B
Property damage
The record
What the Tunica County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Tunica County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 48 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 137 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Tunica County, Mississippi record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $1.0B in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Tunica County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 91 | 0 | $2.1M | 91 | 1963–2026 |
| Hail | 36 | 0 | $20K | 1.75 | 1967–2026 |
| Tornado | 13 | 1 | $3.9M | F2 | 1962–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $177K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 5 | 2 | $1.0B | 0 | 2008–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Tunica County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 12 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-11-24 | EF2 | 3 | 33 | 43.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1962-04-28 | EF2 | 1 | 6 | 34.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-14 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-02-22 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-12-21 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-02-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-02-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-02-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-12-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Tunica County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2008 | Flood | FOX IS | 2 | 0 | $200K |
| Apr 29, 1962 | Tornado | 1 | 5 | $250K | |
| Feb 23, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Jan 11, 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | TUNICA | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 15, 1983 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 21, 2013 | Tornado | HAMLIN | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Mississippi River rose to 10 year historical levels in Tunica County. The high levels brought flood water into a few homes in the Tunica Cut-Off Lake area. Voluntary evacuations orders were posted for the area. Two deaths occurred from the flooding. A 23 year old drowned when he fell into the flood water when attempting to secure his family's boat. A 63 year old man drowned when he fell into the flood water after leaving a bar.
The Mississippi River rose to near record levels during the beginning and middle part of May. The area known as Tunica Cut-Off was flooded as many as 357 homes sustained damage. All nine casinos in Tunica County were closed and sustained some damage from flooding. Several roads were flooded and/or damaged. Several hundred acres of fields were flooded as well. The river remained above flood stage through the end of the month.
Continued heavy rainfall brought many road closures to Tunica County due to flooded roadways. Several homes were evacuated off Highway 3 in Robinsonville. A total of 118 homes were damaged. Forty-four roads suffered damage and 245 people were displaced.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,475
Population (ACS)
$176K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| Apr 16, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Tunica County, Mississippi?
155 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $1.0B in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Tunica County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 91 recorded events — 58.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Tunica County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 12 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Tunica County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Tunica County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Tunica County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tunica County as very low risk, placing it in the 36 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Tunica County, Mississippi severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Tishomingo County 302
- Union County 303
- Tippah County 224
- Walthall County 199
- Tate County 196
- Warren County 729
Cite this page
“Tunica County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/tunica-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.