Gloucester County Disaster Risk

Gloucester County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 87th 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.

Gloucester County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (89th percentile), flooding (88th percentile), hurricane (84th percentile), wildfire (80th percentile), tornado (70th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 89th 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.

Gloucester County's composite risk percentile is 87th, compared to the New Jersey state average of 91th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Moderate. This means Gloucester County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in New Jersey.

Yes, Gloucester County's earthquake risk is at the 89th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gloucester County is at the 88th 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.

Gloucester County's composite risk score of 87th percentile is below the New Jersey state average of 91th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 89th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.