Natural hazards · Carter

Carter, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carter comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carter?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carter to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding45%Earthquakes17%Tornadoes15%Strong wind9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Carter faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 37 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Carter flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Carter.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Spencer County.

Disasters that hit Carter

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Spencer County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Carter itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CarterDeclared for Spencer County only

Spencer County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Carter

Carter and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pigeonmostly inland floodingHigh

Claymostly inland floodingHigh

Harrisonmostly inland floodingModerate

Santa Clausmostly inland floodingModerate

Cartermostly inland floodingModerate

Cassmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Carter covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Carter. 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 Carter total about $1.6M 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.