Natural hazards · Carthage

Carthage, TX 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. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1987. 4 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 tornadoes.

Inland flooding27%Tornadoes25%Strong wind13%Hurricanes8%Hail8%Heat waves7%Everything else12%

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

27% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 4% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Strong wind

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 21 times a year in the area

Lower here

Winter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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.

5paid claims since 1987

$35Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19872026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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: Panola County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm 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 Panola County only

2024

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

269 households applied for aid $713K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

239 households applied for aid $154K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

$272K to the City of Carthage for repairs

2000

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$80K to the City of Carthage for repairs

Panola County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and fires.

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 2 census tracts, 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 $3.6M 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.