Natural hazards · Carthage

Carthage, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carthage comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carthage?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carthage to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding30%Tornadoes22%Strong wind12%Cold waves9%Hurricanes8%Earthquakes7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Carthage faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 24 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Carthage flood?

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

20paid claims since 1979

$233Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Leake County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Carthage

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarthageDeclared for Leake County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

5 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $112K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,455 households applied for aid $548K aid approved $82K to the City of Carthage for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

7 households applied for aid $44K aid approved

Leake County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Carthage covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Carthage’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Carthage. 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 Carthage total about $2.7M 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.