FONTANA DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 255 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Swain County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1945
- EIA plant ID
- 2779
- Coordinates
- 35.4517, -83.8046
FONTANA DAM, a 255 MW Hydro power plant in Swain County, North Carolina. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1945.
Weather peril exposure
FONTANA DAM is a 255 MW hydro power plant in Swain County, NC, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1945. Swain County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.0 of 5 at the 26th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 93rd percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Swain County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 56.3 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 0.89 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.32 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.19 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 3.7 |
| Hail | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 3.6 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 22.3 |
Perils not assessed in Swain County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Heat wave | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Swain County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.