Natural hazards · Gastonia

Gastonia, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gastonia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Gastonia?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gastonia to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes15%Earthquakes7%Strong wind6%Ice storms5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Gastonia faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Gastonia flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Gastonia, from FEMA’s records.

20paid claims since 1979

$145Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Hugo: 1 claim, $1K
Hurricane Florence: 1 claim, $679
Hurricane Helene: 1 claim, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Gastonia is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Gaston County.

Disasters that hit Gastonia

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Gastonia itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Gastonia.

Brought FEMA money into GastoniaDeclared for Gaston County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

6,071 households applied for aid $4.7M aid approved $2.3M to the City of Gastonia for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

1 household applied for aid

2002

Severe Ice Storm

$1.1M to the City of Gastonia for repairs

Gaston County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

Around Gastonia

Gastonia and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springdalemostly inland floodingModerate

Dallasmostly inland floodingModerate

Cramertonmostly inland floodingModerate

Gastoniamostly inland floodingModerate

Lowellmostly inland floodingLow

Kings Mountainmostly inland floodingLow

Bessemer Citymostly inland floodingLow

Ranlomostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Gastonia covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gastonia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gastonia. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Gastonia total about $21.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.