Natural hazards · Carthage

Carthage, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Carthage comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Carthage?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Carthage to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding43%Hurricanes18%Tornadoes18%Everything else22%

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

43% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Carthage flood?

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

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: Moore County.

Disasters that hit Carthage

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CarthageDeclared for Moore County only

2025

Tropical Depression Chantal

$473K to the Town of Carthage for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

134 households applied for aid $63K aid approved $48K to the Town of Carthage for repairs

2016

Hurricane Matthew

30 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $36K to the Town of Carthage for repairs

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$6K to the Town of Carthage for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Storm

$41K to the Town of Carthage for repairs

Moore County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Carthage

Carthage and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Southern Pinesmostly inland floodingLow

Carthagemostly 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. Carthage 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 Carthage’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Carthage. 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.