Gilmer County Disaster Risk

Gilmer County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 11th 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.

Gilmer County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (42th percentile), flooding (39th percentile), earthquake (18th percentile), tornado (5th percentile), wildfire (1th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 42th 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.

Gilmer County's composite risk percentile is 11th, compared to the West Virginia state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Gilmer County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in West Virginia.

Yes, Gilmer County's hurricane risk is at the 42th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Gilmer County is at the 39th 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.

Gilmer County's composite risk score of 11th percentile is below the West Virginia state average of 49th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 42th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.