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Mississippi · County tornado history

Tunica County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 13 tornadoes in Tunica County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.8 years. That ranks it 79 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
13
Since 2000
4
Strongest
EF2, March 31, 2023
Most recent
EF2, March 31, 2023
Peak month
February (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
27
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Tunica County

February has brought the most, 5 of 13. About 85% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 54% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Tunica County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 28, 1962 F2 34.6 mi 1,760 yd 1 6
February 22, 1975 F2 5.2 mi 100 yd 3
May 14, 1983 F2 2 mi 30 yd 2
March 31, 2023 EF2 22.7 mi 1,200 yd
December 21, 2013 EF1 2.7 mi 200 yd 1
December 3, 1978 F1 1 mi 70 yd
February 23, 1985 F1 0.1 mi 50 yd
February 17, 1986 F1 1 mi 50 yd
February 17, 1986 F1 1.5 mi 50 yd
February 23, 1985 F0 0.1 mi 50 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Tunica County was an F2 on April 28, 1962. It killed 1 person and injured 6 along its 34.6-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF2 22.7 mi 1,200 yd
April 25, 2019 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
December 21, 2013 EF1 2.7 mi 200 yd 1
April 26, 2011 EF0 27.9 mi 200 yd
June 9, 1994 F0 2 mi 50 yd
February 17, 1986 F1 1.5 mi 50 yd
February 17, 1986 F1 1 mi 50 yd
February 23, 1985 F0 0.1 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Tunica County as relatively low, with a score of 59 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.27 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,137,980 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Tunica County had?

13 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 4 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Tunica County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Tunica County?

An EF2 on March 31, 2023, with a 22.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Tunica County?

February has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.