Jackson County, NC Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by landslide. 783 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $28.74M
- Relatively Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 783
- Most often winter weather
- Flood insurance policies
- 264
- 1.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 2 tropical storms or stronger since 1916
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Low
Score 80.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 89.2 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 38.9 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $10.23B · Agriculture value exposed: $14.98M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $45.03M
Risk by hazard
- LandslideRelatively Moderate$162K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.8 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively High$8.96M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- LightningRelatively High$1.12M/yr expected annual loss, about 58 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$729K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 392 years
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$175K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HurricaneRelatively Low$284K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 32 years
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.28M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$476K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.0 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$138K/yr expected annual loss, about 33 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$205K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.1 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$25.02K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 704 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$32.55K/yr expected annual loss, about 14 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 297,326 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 264 of 21,268 (1.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 934
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 172 (18%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 97
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.11M
Flood claims paid per year
- Tropical Storm Ivan$534K · 11 claims
- Hurricane Helene$291K · 31 claims
- Hurricane Sandy$1,800 · 1 claim
- Hurricane Fran$0 · 1 claim
- Hurricane Zeta$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 783 events, 1 death, $23.05M in damage
- Winter Weather240
- Thunderstorm Wind97
- Heavy Snow84
- Drought74
- High Wind65
- Hail55
- Cold/Wind Chill33
- Flash Flood25
- Winter Storm22
- Flood20
Events per year
5 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 2, F0 1, F2 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Lightning08/08/1999
Cashiers, Jackson County
1 death, 2 injured
What happened
Lightning struck 3 people hiking at Whiteside Cliffs near the Macon county line and South Carolina state line, and at an elevation of 4900 feet. A teenage boy died and the two others were injured.
- Flash Flood09/27/2024
Tuckasegee, Jackson County
$10M damage
What happened
Stream gauges indicated flash flooding developed along the Tuckasegee River and some of its tributaries, including Scotts Creek in Sylva after 10 to 15 inches of rain fell across the upper part of the basin over a couple of days. 1.5 to 2.5 inches of that fell over the headwaters in less than three hours during the morning of the 27th. A portion of Highway 107 was inundated south of Cullowhee, while several homes were inundated between Cullowhee and Canada Rd. Additional structures and roads were inundated downstream in the Dillsboro and Webster areas, including Dillard Rd. Scotts Creek inundated a mobile home park and a church building off Steeple Rd in Sylva and inundated streets and briefly entered some structures in Dillsboro.
- Lightning07/03/1999
Big Ridge, Jackson County
7 injured
What happened
A lightning strike caused injuries to 7 people at a campground, including burns to 3 people.
- Ice Storm12/04/2002
Southern Jackson
$3M damage
What happened
Freezing rain began over the extreme southern mountains of North Carolina during the early afternoon on the 4th, and had spread into the southwest piedmont by mid afternoon. Resultant damage due to ice accumulation began during the mid-to-late afternoon. The intensity of the freezing rain increased after midnight, and by sunrise on the 5th, devastating ice accumulations of 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches were observed. The hardest hit area was Charlotte metro. Hundreds of thousands lost power, and the outages lasted for as long as 2 weeks in some areas.
- Thunderstorm Wind40 kt wind06/17/2024
Wilmot, Jackson County
1 injured, $1,000 damage
What happened
Emergency manager reported a large tree limb fell on a vehicle on Highway 19 in the Qualla Boundary. One occupant received minor injuries.
- Lightning04/28/2011
Bessie, Jackson County
$1M damage
What happened
Lightning struck a home in the Finley Forest area, igniting a fire that destroyed the home.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/29/2026
Balsam, Jackson County
$20K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/03/2026
Wilmot, Jackson County
- Drought05/01/2026
Southern Jackson
- Drought05/01/2026
Northern Jackson
- Drought04/01/2026
Southern Jackson
- Drought04/01/2026
Northern Jackson
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind03/16/2026
Cashiers, Jackson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind03/16/2026
Barkers Creek, Jackson County
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Jackson County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Zeta (2020)10/24/2020 · Landfall: LA · 970 mbTropical storm52 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1916)07/11/1916 · Landfall: SC · 960 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
Drinking water
37 community water systems serve about 25,816 people. Violations since 2021.
7 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 2 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Western Carolina Univ WtpServes 7,800 · Surface water · StateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer AuthServes 7,528 · Surface water · Local government4 health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Fairfield SapphireServes 3,873 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Hh Water, LLCServes 770 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Trillium Links & VillageServes 610 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+5 monitoring or reporting
- Highlands Cove S/DServes 604 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Mountain Top Golf & Lake ClubServes 467 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Wade Hampton ClubServes 429 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Cullowhee, 4.7 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 85°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 26°F in Jan. About 54.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 4.3 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 26°F | 4.85 in | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 28°F | 4.56 in | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 61°F | 34°F | 4.64 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 42°F | 4.72 in | - |
| May | 77°F | 51°F | 4.34 in | - |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 5.12 in | - |
| Jul | 85°F | 63°F | 5.01 in | - |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 4.30 in | - |
| Sep | 79°F | 56°F | 4.31 in | - |
| Oct | 70°F | 44°F | 3.22 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 33°F | 4.04 in | - |
| Dec | 51°F | 29°F | 5.07 in | 1.5 in |
| Year | 56°F average | 54.2 in | 4.3 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Jackson County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Jackson Paper Manufacturing188 lbs released, Sylva
Total: 188 lbs in 2024, 39.6 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk14 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Jackson County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Jackson County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $28.74M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively high), lightning (relatively high).
- What storms are most common in Jackson County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 783 storm events affecting Jackson County, most often winter weather (240), thunderstorm wind (97), heavy snow (84).
- How many tornadoes have hit Jackson County?
- 5 tornadoes have been recorded in Jackson County since 1950.
- How many homes in Jackson County have flood insurance?
- 264 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Jackson County, covering about 1.2% of homes. The program has paid $1.11M on 97 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Jackson County?
- At Cullowhee, average highs reach 85°F in Jul and lows fall to 26°F in Jan, with 54.2 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.