Natural hazards · Indian Beach

Indian Beach, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Indian Beach comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1999. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Indian Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Indian Beach to be higher than in 99% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes.

Hurricanes90%Inland flooding5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Indian Beach faces

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

Hurricanes

90% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Inland flooding

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Indian Beach flood?

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

21paid claims since 1999

$223Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19992026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ophelia: 9 claims, $116K
Hurricane Florence: 7 claims, $79K
Hurricane Irene: 4 claims, $28K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Carteret County.

Disasters that hit Indian Beach

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Indian BeachDeclared for Carteret County only

2019

Hurricane Dorian

$10K to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

2018

Hurricane Florence

14 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $6.3M to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

2011

Hurricane Irene

$4K to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

2010

Hurricane Earl

$2K to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

2005

Hurricane Ophelia

$3.0M to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$48K to the Town of Indian Beach for repairs

Carteret County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter 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. Indian Beach 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 Indian Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Indian Beach. 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.