Storms, floods and disasters in Carthage
Carthage isn’t graded for hazard risk: Carthage has 78 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Carthage 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
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 Carthage flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Carthage. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Carthage
Disasters that paid out in Carthage itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Carthage), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding$13K to the City of Carthage for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$4K to the City of Carthage for repairs
- 2005Severe Winter Storm$1K to the City of Carthage for repairs
Miner County has had 17 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.
Old photos of Carthage after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Carthage archive →Carthage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Township | — | 28 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 Carthage 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.
- 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 Carthage
Is Carthage 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.
How much is flood insurance in Carthage?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Carthage’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 Carthage?
By FEMA money that reached Carthage, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding (2019): $13K to the City of Carthage for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Carthage.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Carthage’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.