Gillespie County Disaster Risk

Gillespie 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.

Gillespie County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (84th percentile), tornado (70th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), hurricane (55th percentile), earthquake (12th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 84th 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.

Gillespie 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 Gillespie County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Gillespie County's wildfire risk is at the 84th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gillespie County is at the 68th 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.

Gillespie 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 (84th percentile), along with tornado and flooding and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.