Swain County, North Carolina
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 37173 · population 14,108 · 528 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 489 records for Swain County, North Carolina from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 445 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (256 records). 353 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the July 27, 2014 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $6,233 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1993, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 489on 445 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Swain County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 256 since 1996. 55% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among North Carolina's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 256 | 249 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 100 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 78 | 71 | 1986-2025 | 1 | 1 | $106K | 92 of 100 |
| Drought | 37 | 37 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 100 |
| Floods | 31 | 26 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | 74 of 100 |
| High wind and dust storms | 27 | 27 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | $788K | 35 of 100 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 22 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 14 of 100 |
| Hail | 20 | 18 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 100 of 100 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2002-2019 | 0 | 0 | $265K | 43 of 100 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1974-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 96 of 100 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2020-2024 | 0 | 0 | $470K | 86 of 100 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2012-2019 | 0 | 2 | $129K | 77 of 100 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1996-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 100 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2007-2016 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 7 of 100 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | 21 of 100 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Swain County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Swain County from 1974 to 2022, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 4 tornadoes whose track touched Swain County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Swain County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 18:05, as SPC files it | Robbinsville | F2 | 24.1 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in North Carolina.
Every tornado record filed for Swain County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-06 | Bryson City, Swain County | EF1 0.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2012-03-02 | Solola Vly, Swain County | EF0 0.13 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-02-18 | Swain County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Swain County | F2 13.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Swain County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 27, 2024 flood ($376,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Although heavy rain ended across Swain County by late morning, flooding continued to steadily worsen along the Tuckasegee River through the morning and early afternoon, as runoff from the very heavy rainfall that fell throughout the basin over about a two-day period continued to work downstream. The stream gauge at Bryson City crested at just under 15 feet, which was the highest crest since August 1940. Water inundated portions of several roads, including Everett St, Carringer St, and especially Island St, where several businesses were inundated and damaged. Other structures were reportedly damaged outside the city as well. While two-day rainfall totals in Swain County were generally 4-8 inches, totals in the Tuckasegee headwaters across southeast Jackson County were in the 10-15 inch range.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1218219)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindGovernors Is, Swain County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindRavensford, Swain County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindLauada, Swain County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-27 | Thunderstorm WindBirdtown, Swain County Broadcast media reported a 53-year-old man was extricated from his vehicle then later died from injuries suffered after a tree fell on his vehicle as he was traveling along Old Number 4/Jess Nations Rd. Other trees were reported down in the area as well. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $6K |
| 2019-06-22 | LightningBig Cove, Swain County Broadcast media reported lightning struck and injured two people at Balsam Mountain Campground. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1997-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindBryson City, Swain County One person was injured when a tree fell on a camper. The Smoky Mountain Railroad train became trapped when trees fell across the tracks ahead of and behind it. The train and its passengers were not found until 10 pm EST. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-16 | Debris FlowSmokemont, Swain County | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | |
| 2013-01-15 | FloodBig Cove, Swain County | 0 | 0 | $4.4M | |
| 2007-03-11 | WildfireSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2003-05-07 | Flash FloodSouth Portion, Swain County | 0 | 0 | $481K | |
| 2004-09-16 | FloodSwain County · forecast zone Swain | 0 | 0 | $391K | |
| 2024-09-27 | FloodRoundhill, Swain County | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 2013-01-14 | Heavy RainBryson City, Swain County | 0 | 0 | $253K | |
| 2022-05-06 | TornadoBryson City, Swain County | EF1 0.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: February 18, 1976 (tornado, Swain County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Swain County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 40 | 103 | 84 | 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 30 | 23 | 13 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 2 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 9 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 107 · Feb 76 · Mar 49 · Apr 35 · May 33 · Jun 24 · Jul 29 · Aug 15 · Sep 15 · Oct 16 · Nov 33 · Dec 57 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Swain County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Swain County: 6 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (6) and fire (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3637 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-20 | FM-5580 | Fire | Sam Davis Road Fire |
| 2025-03-26 | FM-5577 | Fire | Alarka Fire |
| 2024-09-28 | DR-4827 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-26 | EM-3617 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2022-10-01 | EM-3586 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020-08-02 | EM-3534 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020-05-08 | DR-4543 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-03-25 | DR-4487 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3471 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-03 | EM-3423 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2018-09-10 | EM-3401 | Hurricane | Hurricane Florence |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3222 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-09-18 | DR-1553 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1087 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1995-10-23 | DR-1073 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, High Winds |
| 1993-03-17 | EM-3110 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Swain County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 31 flood or flash flood records for Swain County from 1996 to 2024, on 26 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Swain County ranks 1612th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | 2024-09-27 | 2 | 0 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-16 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.2 million on 56 claims filed in Swain County; the most in one year was 10 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 7 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 2 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 1 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Swain County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Swain County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $305K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $150K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $341K | once in about 278 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $340K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $116K | 56 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $25K | 22 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Swain County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in North CarolinaEvery North Carolina tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in North CarolinaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The North Carolina recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Swain CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Swain County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis