Gaston County Disaster Risk

Gaston County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 85th 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.

Gaston County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (91th percentile), flooding (89th percentile), earthquake (86th percentile), hurricane (70th percentile), wildfire (48th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 91th 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.

Gaston County's composite risk percentile is 85th, compared to the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Gaston County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Carolina.

Yes, Gaston County's tornado risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gaston County is at the 89th 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.

Gaston County's composite risk score of 85th percentile is above the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (91th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.