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Natural hazards · Carmel

Carmel, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carmel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 91 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Carmel?

41
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carmel to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding58%Tornadoes23%Cold waves6%Everything else14%
By hazard

What Carmel faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Carmel flood?

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

91paid claims since 1978
$1.6Mpaid to owners
9homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • 2026-08-Indiana-Flooding: 19 claims, $1.1M

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
🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Carmel is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Hamilton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Carmel

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarmelDeclared for Hamilton County only
2026

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

114 households applied for aid $903K aid approved
2014

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$13K to the City of Carmel for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

9 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2007

Snow

$147K to the City of Carmel for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2004

Snow

$93K to the City of Carmel for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

133 households applied for aid $228K aid approved
1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$49K to the City of Carmel for repairs
Hamilton County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Carmel

Carmel and the towns around it

Clay: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDelaware: Low, mostly inland floodingFishers: Moderate, mostly inland floodingZionsville: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIndianapolis: no dataNoblesville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNoblesville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestfield: Low, mostly inland floodingWestfield Washington: Low, mostly inland floodingFall Creek: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingMcCordsville: Low, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingFortville: Low, mostly inland floodingWhitestown: Low, mostly inland floodingPerry: Very low, mostly inland floodingWorth: Low, mostly inland floodingPike: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLebanon: High, mostly inland floodingHarrison: Very low, mostly inland floodingMarion: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrown: High, mostly inland floodingCenter: Low, mostly inland floodingCenter: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Low, mostly inland floodingPerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDecatur: Low, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWhite River: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJackson: Low, mostly inland floodingHortonville: Low, mostly inland floodingSheridan: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCarmel: Moderate, mostly inland flooding CarmelClayDelawareFishersZionsvilleWashingtonIndianapolisNoblesvilleNoblesvilleWestfieldWestfield Washington
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Noblesvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Noblesvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Carmelmostly inland floodingModerate
Claymostly inland floodingModerate
Fishersmostly inland floodingModerate
Westfield Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow
Zionsvillemostly inland floodingLow
Westfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Delawaremostly inland floodingLow
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. Carmel covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carmel’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Carmel. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Carmel total about $41.8M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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