Natural hazards · Sylva

Sylva, NC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sylva comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1991. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sylva?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sylva to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding51%Cold waves33%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Sylva faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHeat wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Sylva flood?

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

4paid claims since 1991

$121Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $105K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

Disasters that hit Sylva

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SylvaDeclared for Jackson County only

2024

Tropical Storm Helene

784 households applied for aid $956K aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

56 households applied for aid $105K aid approved $45K to the Town of Sylva for repairs

2004

Tropical Storm Frances

6 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

Jackson County has had 16 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. Sylva is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.