Natural hazards · Carrabelle

Carrabelle, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carrabelle comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1985. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Carrabelle?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carrabelle to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes55%Inland flooding13%Cold waves11%Tornadoes7%Lightning5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Carrabelle faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Inland flooding

13% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 100 years in the area

Lightning

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong wind

Not a risk here

Ice stormsDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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

Flood insurance claims

Does Carrabelle flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Carrabelle, from FEMA’s records.

60paid claims since 1985

$1.2Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19852026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Dennis: 25 claims, $704K
Hurricane Kate: 10 claims, $178K
Hurricane Elena: 9 claims, $118K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Carrabelle isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Carrabelle

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Carrabelle itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Carrabelle.

Brought FEMA money into CarrabelleDeclared for Franklin County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

94 households applied for aid $101K aid approved

2022

Hurricane Ian

1 household applied for aid

2018

Hurricane Michael

423 households applied for aid $530K aid approved $188K to the City of Carrabelle for repairs

2012

Tropical Storm Debby

104 households applied for aid $69K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Dennis

256 households applied for aid $201K aid approved $5K to the City of Carrabelle for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Franklin County has had 38 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Carrabelle is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carrabelle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Carrabelle. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.