Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Tunica
Tunica isn’t graded for hazard risk: Tunica has 838 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979.
What Tunica faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Tunica flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Tunica, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $102K
Tunica isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Tunica County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Tunica
Disasters that paid out in Tunica itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Tunica), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2026Severe Winter Storm801 households applied for aid$2.1M aid approved
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding40 households applied for aid$22K aid approved
- 2011Flooding349 households applied for aid$5.0M aid approved
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding292 households applied for aid$147K aid approved
Tunica County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Tunica after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Tunica archive →Tunica and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Tunica | — | 429 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Tunica faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Tunica
Does Tunica flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Tunica since 1979, $211K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).
Is Tunica in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Tunica County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Tunica?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Tunica’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Tunica?
By FEMA money that reached Tunica, Flooding (2011): 349 households applied for aid, $5.0M approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $102K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Tunica.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Tunica’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.