Swain County, NC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Swain County has experienced 17 federally declared disasters since 1993, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Swain County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, cold wave, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is elevated (90th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Swain County has been designated in 17 declarations since 1993, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (6), fire (2), tropical storm (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Fire | Sam Davis Road Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | Alarka Fire |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 17 total declarations since 1993.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 60.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 62.5 | 7 | 0 | $631K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.4 | 1 | 0 | $30K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 25.2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 49.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 43.6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Swain County ranks in the 90th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 86th | High |
| Household characteristics | 83rd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 79th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 88th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 82nd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 90.8% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Swain County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Swain County, North Carolina are landslide, cold wave, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Swain County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Swain County has received 17 federal disaster declarations since 1993, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (6 declarations).
Has Swain County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Swain County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Sam Davis Road Fire (2025), Alarka Fire (2025), Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1993.
How does Swain County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Jackson County, NC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Graham County, NC has the lowest (Very Low). Swain County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Swain County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Swain County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Swain County's composite score of 49 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 49% of US counties.