Gibson County Disaster Risk

Gibson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 48th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Gibson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (88th percentile), tornado (39th percentile), flooding (37th percentile), hurricane (28th percentile), wildfire (6th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 88th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Gibson County's composite risk percentile is 48th, compared to the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Gibson County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Indiana.

Yes, Gibson County's earthquake risk is at the 88th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gibson County is at the 37th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Gibson County's composite risk score of 48th percentile is above the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (88th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.