Gaston County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Gaston County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.9 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, strong wind, tornado. Its storm record holds 651 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.6 | $2.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.2 | $3.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.1 | $8.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.8 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $36M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.8 | $3.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.2 | $653K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.4 | $562K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 68.3 | $915K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 60.7 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 58.5 | $93K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.5 | $63K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.1 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 48.2 | $46K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 261 | 4 | $1.2M | 4th of 100 | 80th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 169 | 0 | $481K | 2nd of 100 | 54th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 0 | $30M | 35th of 100 | 742nd of 3,077 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 10th of 100 | 308th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 31 | 1 | $6.7M | 38th of 100 | 929th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 2 | $1.2M | 25th of 100 | 643rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 19 | 0 | $781K | 3rd of 100 | 90th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 1 | $20M | 12th of 100 | 581st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $1.4M | 22nd of 100 | 873rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | $6K | 24th of 100 | 658th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $1.4M | 62nd of 100 | 535th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 54th of 100 | 1819th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Gaston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.