How This Report Was Built
This report draws from two publicly available federal datasets and does not rely on proprietary estimates, insurance industry projections, or extrapolated modeling. Statistics cited in the report reflect documented events or official housing inventory counts.
Primary Data Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - Storm Events Database
All storm frequency, storm type, property damage, and event narrative data covering Gwinnett County, Georgia were pulled from NOAA's Storm Events Database. The database compiles severe weather incidents verified by sources including National Weather Service field surveys, emergency managers, trained storm spotters, and broadcast media reports. Only events with a recorded county designation of Gwinnett County, Georgia were included in this analysis.
U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey, 2024
Housing age and inventory data were sourced from the 2024 ACS 1-Year Estimates, specifically Table B25034, Year Structure Built, for Gwinnett County, Georgia. This table provided the total housing unit count of 351,100 and the distribution of units by decade of construction.
Time Period
Storm event analysis covers the 10-year period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2024. Housing data reflects the 2024 ACS 1-Year Estimates, the most current single-year estimates available at the time of publication.
Analysis Approach
Storm events were categorized by NOAA event type. The report focuses on significant hail events and damaging thunderstorm wind events, which together constitute the 158 documented severe weather events in the dataset. Annual event counts, property damage figures, and storm narratives, including the July 21, 2018 hailstorm tracking from Dacula to Lawrenceville, were drawn from NOAA records.
Housing age cohorts were mapped against published asphalt shingle lifespan benchmarks of 20 to 25 years for three-tab shingles and 25 to 30 years for architectural shingles to characterize roof condition risk by construction decade. No condition assessments of individual properties were made.
Limitations
Documented property damage figures reflect only what was officially reported to NOAA and should be considered a conservative floor, not a ceiling. Unreported damage, losses below claim thresholds, and gradual storm-cumulative deterioration are not captured. Housing age indicates the age of the structure, not the age of any later roof installation. This report does not constitute a property-specific inspection, engineering assessment, insurance recommendation, or legal advice.
Citations
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database: ncei.noaa.gov/products/severe-weather
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25034, Gwinnett County, Georgia: data.census.gov
Expert commentary was provided by HD Pro Roofing, a licensed roofing contractor in Gwinnett County, Georgia.