FEMA puts Indian Hills’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 85% of U.S. towns, led by earthquakes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Indian Hills gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #26 of 42 in Nevada. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (36%), then wildfire (32%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2014.
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
What Indian Hills faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
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.
What’s behind Indian Hills’ grade
Earthquakes are 36% of the building damage FEMA expects in Indian Hills, and Indian Hills’ rate of earthquakes damage is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 32%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D #26 of 42 in Nevada; higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Indian Hills’ residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Nevada town has higher expected damage than 81% of U.S. towns; within the state, Indian Hills has more expected damage per building than 61% of Nevada towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Indian Hills: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Indian Hills flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Indian Hills, from FEMA’s records: 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Indian Hills isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Douglas County.The storms Indian Hills remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Douglas County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Indian Hills itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20141 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Douglas County has had 9 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.
Also 13 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Douglas County, 2002–2025.
Old photos of Indian Hills after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Indian Hills archive →Indian Hills and its neighbors
Indian Hills has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Hills | Dmore damage than 85% | earthquakes | 1 |
| Carson City | Dmore damage than 88% | earthquakes | 46 |
| Johnson Lane | Dmore damage than 90% | earthquakes | — |
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 Indian Hills faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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.
- 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 Indian Hills
Is Indian Hills at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Indian Hills has higher expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #26 of 42 in Nevada. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (36%) and wildfire (32%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Indian Hills flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Indian Hills since 2014, $2K in all, or 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Indian Hills 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 Douglas County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 3.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Indian Hills?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Indian Hills’ flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Indian Hills at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (36%), and Indian Hills’ rate for it is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Indian Hills.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Indian Hills’ 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.