Enter any address in Swain County, North Carolina to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the most common flood hazard in Swain County. Recent events include widespread flash flooding on February 7, 2020, due to unusually high moisture levels and a slow-moving frontal system. Heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Cyclone Helene also produced significant flooding on September 27, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $22,226 and an average water depth of 8.4 feet. Properties in Zone X have also filed claims, with a higher average payout of $37,926, though with an average reported water depth of -13.4 feet, suggesting potential data anomalies or different flood dynamics. Residents in Zone A, and those in Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk information.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Swain County, North Carolina has recorded 33 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 17 flash floods and 14 river or area floods. The county has received 17 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1993–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 21, 2026 |
| Sam Davis Road Fire | Fire | Apr 18, 2025 |
| Alarka Fire | Fire | Mar 25, 2025 |
| Hurricane Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 25, 2024 |
| Hurricane Ian | Hurricane | Sep 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Isaias | Hurricane | Jul 31, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 6, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 400.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 27, 2024 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 19, 2019 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 26, 2018 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 24, 2018 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2016 | 5.00K |
| Flood | Dec 24, 2015 | 0.50K |
Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Tropical Storm — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Flash Flood — Sep 27, 2024
Tropical Cyclone Helene began organizing over the western Caribbean on the 23rd and 24th of September before rapidly intensifying as it moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico on the 25th and 26th. A plume of moisture extending from the intensifying storm interacted with a slow-moving cold front to produce a band of widespread heavy rain showers and embedded scattered thunderstorms over ...
Tropical Storm — Oct 29, 2020
Tropical moisture and heavy rain overspread western North Carolina throughout the 28th through the morning of the 29th as the center of Tropical Storm Zeta moved quickly from the mouth of the Mississippi River into the southern Appalachians. Strong winds developed across portions of western North Carolina during the morning, downing hundreds of trees across the area. Multiple trees fell on stru...
Flash Flood — Feb 6, 2020
Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across western North Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and a...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Swain County, North Carolina:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Swain County, North Carolina that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.