Natural disaster risk in Transylvania County, North Carolina
North Carolina · population 32,927 · FIPS 37175
Overall: relatively low risk
Transylvania County has a composite risk score of 64.2 out of 100 — higher than 64% of US counties. It ranks 63 of 100 in North Carolina (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, ice storm, landslide.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 45 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 65.42% of Transylvania County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 45 weeks in a row.
Drought in Transylvania County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 64.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $17.9 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 56.6 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 75.4 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 38.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Transylvania County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively high 91 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 84 |
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 93 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 67 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 51 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 67 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 61 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 59 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 52 |
| Hail | Relatively low 50 |
| Drought | Relatively low 46 |
| Wildfire | Very low 43 |
| Winter weather | Very low 19 |
| Heat wave | Very low 2 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Transylvania County
Federal declarations that designated Transylvania County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Transylvania County has been named in 4 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3637-NC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3637-NC | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| FM-5578-NC | Fire management | Table Rock Fire | 27 Mar 2025 | No |
| DR-4827-NC | Major disaster | Tropical Storm Helene | 28 Sep 2024 | Yes |
| EM-3617-NC | Emergency | Hurricane Helene | 26 Sep 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in North Carolina, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Transylvania County, North Carolina?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Transylvania County as relatively low, with a score of 64.2 out of 100 (higher than 64% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Transylvania County?
The hazards rated highest for Transylvania County are cold wave (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), landslide (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Transylvania County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Transylvania County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Transylvania County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Transylvania County has been named in 4 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3637-NC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is Transylvania County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 65.42% of Transylvania County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 45 weeks in a row.
Every county in North Carolina, ranked · All states · Disasters near me