Natural hazards · Swannanoa

Swannanoa, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Swannanoa comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 59 claims here since 2004. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Swannanoa?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Swannanoa to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding64%Cold waves19%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Swannanoa faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Swannanoa flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Swannanoa, from FEMA’s records.

59paid claims since 2004

$10.0Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Helene: 46 claims, $9.7M
Tropical Storm Fred: 1 claim, $3K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Swannanoa isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Buncombe County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

96flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

16homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Swannanoa

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Swannanoa itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Swannanoa.

Brought FEMA money into SwannanoaDeclared for Buncombe County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

4,239 households applied for aid $25.6M aid approved

2021

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

30 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

79 households applied for aid $109K aid approved

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

114 households applied for aid $395K aid approved

Buncombe County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Swannanoa covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Swannanoa’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Swannanoa. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Swannanoa total about $2.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.