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Aerial view of Carrollton, Missouri - 9-2-2013Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Carrollton · FEMA

FEMA puts Carrollton’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 69% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Carrollton gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns, #28 of 247 in Missouri. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then tornadoes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 71 claims here since 1981.

River and rain flooding 72%Tornadoes 18%Earthquakes 4%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 69%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#28 of 247 in Missouri
Hazard risk
B+#28 of 247
in Missouri · lower than 69% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
72% of expected building damage
Flood claims
71
paid since 1981 · $2.1M
Flooded more than once
7
properties · 3 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
6
of 24 declared for Carroll County

What stands out about Carrollton’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Lower expected damage than 69% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Moved out of harm’s way9 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 199822 flood claims were paid for 1998 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Carrollton 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

72%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Winter storms top 4% Strong wind Ice storms Wildfire Heat waves top 3% Lightning Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 16% of Carrollton’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Carrollton’s grade

River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Carrollton, and Carrollton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 18%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Carrollton sits
Carrollton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ #28 of 247 in Missouri; lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Carrollton’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding72%Tornadoes18%Earthquakes4%Everything else6%

The typical Missouri town has higher expected damage than 59% of U.S. towns; within the state, Carrollton has less expected damage per building than 89% of Missouri towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.0M a year in losses across Carrollton: $874K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Carrollton’s 3,514 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Carrollton flood? Sometimes: 71 flood claims since 1981

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Carrollton, from FEMA’s records: 46.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 92% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1981: 4 claims1982: 9 claims1983: 2 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 2 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 18 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 22 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 2 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 1 claim2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 4 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 3 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 3 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198219931998
19812026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding10 claims · $351K
  • Hurricane Ike1 claim · $9K
71
paid claims since 1981
$2.1M
paid to owners
7
homes flooded more than once
$29K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Carrollton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Carroll County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
9flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Carrollton

Disasters that paid out in Carrollton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Carrollton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding52 households applied for aid$77K aid approved$74K to the City of Carrollton for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$17K to the City of Carrollton for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding15 households applied for aid$28K aid approved$3K to the City of Carrollton for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  4. 2006Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding10 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
  5. 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$24K to the City of Carrollton for repairs
  6. 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$134K to the City of Carrollton for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in CarrolltonCarroll County only

Carroll County has had 24 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Carrollton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Carrollton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Carrollton faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Carrollton

Is Carrollton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Carrollton has lower expected damage per building than 69% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #28 of 247 in Missouri. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and tornadoes (18%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Carrollton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 71 claims in Carrollton since 1981, $2.1M in all, or 46.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 92% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (10).

Is Carrollton 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 Carroll County, 4% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Carrollton?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Carrollton’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 Carrollton?

By FEMA money that reached Carrollton, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2019): 52 households applied for aid, $77K approved, and $74K to the City of Carrollton for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 10 paid, $351K.

Is Carrollton at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Carrollton’s rate for it is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Carrollton.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Carrollton’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.