Gates County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Gates County's overall risk Very Low (score 10.5 of 100, higher than 10% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 248 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 55.2 | $605K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 77.9 | $1.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 56.6 | $213K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.7 | $69K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 28.9 | $99K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 40.8 | $19K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 30.4 | $132K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 28.1 | $59K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.3 | $277K |
| Hail | Very Low | 22.2 | $76K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 19.0 | $14K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 15.1 | $147K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 13.8 | $1.6M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 13.0 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 5.2 | $7 |
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 | 94 | 1 | $260K | 78th of 100 | 1538th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 46 | 0 | $1K | 46th of 100 | 1102nd of 3,077 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | $20K | 80th of 100 | 1739th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 21 | 1 | $11M | 79th of 100 | 1583rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 0 | – | 8th of 100 | 135th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 0 | $9.0M | 26th of 100 | 252nd of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 2 | $7.4M | 73rd of 100 | 2118th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 39th of 100 | 1436th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 15th of 100 | 1179th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $35K | 85th of 100 | 2244th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $7K | 69th of 100 | 1106th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Gates County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.