Gaines County Disaster Risk

Gaines County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 58th 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.

Gaines County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (93th percentile), tornado (43th percentile), hurricane (39th percentile), flooding (30th percentile), earthquake (20th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 93th 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.

Gaines County's composite risk percentile is 58th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Gaines County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Gaines County's wildfire risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gaines County is at the 30th 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.

Gaines County's composite risk score of 58th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (93th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.