Yancey County, NC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Yancey County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1978, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Yancey County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, lightning, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Yancey County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1978, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (9), severe storm (3), flood (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 total declarations since 1978.
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 | 51.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.4 | 8 | 13 | $95.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 25.8 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 41.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 32.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.6 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 51 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 96.7 | 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
Yancey County ranks in the 53rd percentile (Moderate) 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 | 53rd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 71st | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 70th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 21st | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 25th | Low |
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 | 76th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 77th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 94.3% | — |
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 Yancey County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Yancey County, North Carolina are landslide, lightning, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Yancey County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Yancey County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1978, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (9 declarations).
Has Yancey County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Yancey County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1978.
How does Yancey County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Buncombe County, NC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Unicoi County, TN has the lowest (Very Low). Yancey County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Yancey County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Yancey 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. Yancey County's composite score of 42 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 42% of US counties.