Natural disaster risk in Montana, by county
All 56 counties in Montana, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Flathead County (relatively moderate, score 86.5). Lowest: Treasure County (very low, score 0.5).
Top hazards in Montana
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Winter weather | 17 of 56 | 65.3 |
| Cold wave | 13 of 56 | 67.9 |
| Avalanche | 11 of 56 | 51.7 |
| Lightning | 3 of 56 | 40.4 |
| Wildfire | 1 of 56 | 74.5 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flathead County | Relatively moderate 86.5 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 2 | Yellowstone County | Relatively moderate 83.6 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 3 | Cascade County | Relatively moderate 83.1 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 4 | Gallatin County | Relatively moderate 81 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 5 | Ravalli County | Relatively low 78.5 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 6 | Missoula County | Relatively low 77 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 7 | Lewis and Clark County | Relatively low 71.2 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 8 | Lake County | Relatively low 67.7 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 9 | Park County | Relatively low 66.3 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 10 | Lincoln County | Relatively low 64.3 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 11 | Dawson County | Relatively low 63.8 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 12 | Carbon County | Relatively low 59.8 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 13 | Big Horn County | Relatively low 57.2 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 14 | Roosevelt County | Relatively low 54.5 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 15 | Richland County | Relatively low 52.7 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 16 | Glacier County | Relatively low 51.5 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 17 | Hill County | Relatively low 50.4 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 18 | Rosebud County | Relatively low 49.7 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 19 | Sanders County | Relatively low 47.4 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 20 | Blaine County | Relatively low 45.9 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 21 | Fergus County | Relatively low 45.1 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 22 | Beaverhead County | Relatively low 42.9 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 23 | Custer County | Very low 42.1 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 24 | Madison County | Very low 41 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 25 | Chouteau County | Very low 39.5 | Avalanche (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Silver Bow County | Very low 38 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 27 | Valley County | Very low 35.9 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 28 | Phillips County | Very low 34.5 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | Pondera County | Very low 24.6 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Jefferson County | Very low 21.6 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 31 | Teton County | Very low 19 | Avalanche (relatively moderate) |
| 32 | Broadwater County | Very low 17.7 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | Deer Lodge County | Very low 17.6 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 34 | Musselshell County | Very low 17 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 35 | Stillwater County | Very low 16.8 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 36 | Sheridan County | Very low 15.1 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Toole County | Very low 13 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Wibaux County | Very low 11.1 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 39 | Powell County | Very low 10 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 40 | Granite County | Very low 9.4 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 41 | Sweet Grass County | Very low 8.1 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 42 | Mineral County | Very low 7.3 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Liberty County | Very low 6.3 | Cold wave (relatively low) |
| 44 | Judith Basin County | Very low 5.5 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 45 | Fallon County | Very low 5.4 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 46 | McCone County | Very low 5.2 | Cold wave (relatively low) |
| 47 | Prairie County | Very low 4.2 | Cold wave (relatively low) |
| 48 | Powder River County | Very low 4 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 49 | Wheatland County | Very low 3.5 | Lightning (relatively low) |
| 50 | Meagher County | Very low 2.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 51 | Garfield County | Very low 2.5 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 52 | Daniels County | Very low 1.8 | Cold wave (relatively low) |
| 53 | Carter County | Very low 1.7 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 54 | Petroleum County | Very low 1.3 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 55 | Golden Valley County | Very low 1 | Lightning (relatively low) |
| 56 | Treasure County | Very low 0.5 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
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
Which county in Montana has the highest natural disaster risk?
Flathead County has the highest composite risk score in Montana in FEMA's National Risk Index: 86.5, rated relatively moderate.
Which county in Montana has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Treasure County has the lowest composite risk score in Montana: 0.5, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Montana most at risk from?
Across Montana, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are winter weather, cold wave, avalanche, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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