NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tunica, MS
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tunica, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 65
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Tunica
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Tunica; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Tunica begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The 1900s and the 1920s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Tunica. The highest rating among the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 2, 2025, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 29, 1963, killed 5 people. Of the 65, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 13. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Tunica. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1966, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tunica.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tunica
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Tunica: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Tunica
By decade
- 2020s4(1 EF3+)
- 2010s12
- 2000s3
- 1990s4
- 1980s18
- 1970s14(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 19 mi | 5.7 mi | 5 / 10 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 17 mi | 12.22 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 24, 1976 | F3 | 23 mi | 24.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F3 | 22 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 29, 1956 | F3 | 22 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F2 | 14 mi | 43.5 mi | 3 / 33 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 19 mi | 15.57 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Nov 27, 1973 | F2 | 25 mi | 4.1 mi | 1 / 50 |
| Apr 28, 1962 | F2 | 6 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 2 mi | 22.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F2 | 18 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tunica
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Tunica since 1966, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently March 30, 2025. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tunica
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tunica 2 N, MS, 3 miles north of Tunica at 206 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 33°F. April and May are the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 56.7 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 41% of the year's precipitation (23.5 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal October there has highs of 75°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 74 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 53 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 56.7 inches is more than at 14 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (16%). Sarah, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Senatobia, MS): 58.2 inches a year, 1.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 33 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 54 | 36 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 63 | 44 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 73 | 53 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 63 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 72 | 53 | 56.7 | 73 | 1.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tunica 2 N, MS (206 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Tunica
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tunica: 68 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $4.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on March 31, 2023. April has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 34 have had fewer than Tunica.
April 1, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Tunica — 2 killed, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “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.”
April 27, 2011: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Tunica — 7 injured.
January 11, 2020: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Tunica — 2 injured, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds moved across Tunica, MS and areas south and east of the community. Several industrial buildings were damaged south of town.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Tunica's ZIP code 38676 have filed 377 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-spring storms in 2011: 46 claims (12% of all) and $1.5 million, then Flooding in 1983 with 11. The year with the most claims was 1983, with 74. 16% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 133 Mississippi cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 108 have fewer than Tunica.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 46 | $1.5 million |
| Flooding1983 | 11 | $42,000 |
Tunica County, which includes Tunica, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Tunica County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.5 million a year, the 60th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.9 million (25%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. 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).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets 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).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Tunica
- Robinsonville, MS10 mi
- Sarah, MS13 mi
- Hughes, AR18 mi
- Lake Cormorant, MS18 mi
- West Helena, AR19 mi
- Helena, AR21 mi
- Hernando, MS22 mi
- Walls, MS23 mi
- Coldwater, MS24 mi
- Marianna, AR24 mi
- Senatobia, MS25 mi
- Nesbit, MS26 mi
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