Swain County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Swain County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 49.1 of 100, higher than 49% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 489 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.8 | $305K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $1.8M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.8 | $150K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.4 | $341K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 62.5 | $6.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 49.8 | $340K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 43.6 | $116K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.8 | $25K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.4 | $426K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 60.3 | $53K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.2 | $70K |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.7 | $15K |
| Hail | Very Low | 25.2 | $58K |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 256 | 0 | – | 8th of 100 | 132nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 78 | 1 | $106K | 92nd of 100 | 1979th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | – | 24th of 100 | 611th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 31 | 0 | $6.3M | 74th of 100 | 1525th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 27 | 0 | $788K | 35th of 100 | 863rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 0 | $1.4M | 14th of 100 | 618th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | – | 100th of 100 | 2628th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | $265K | 43rd of 100 | 905th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 96th of 100 | 2519th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $470K | 86th of 100 | 782nd of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $129K | 77th of 100 | 1451st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $1.4M | 7th of 100 | 604th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $6.3M | 21st of 100 | 271st of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Swain County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.