FEMA Records
5
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Beaverhead County, MT
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2000-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 43
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Beaverhead County: 5 FEMA declaration records are 54% below the Montana county mean, even though the count is higher than 2% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks safer than 43%.
- Safer than 43%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 12
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
How does Beaverhead County compare?
Beaverhead County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
5 2nd percentile higher than 2% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Beaverhead County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Montana county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Beaverhead County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $3.1M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Avalanche carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Beaverhead County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 42.9/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $9.9M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively High) and community resilience (Relatively Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Avalanche stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 8 years here, based on 4 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The state comparison is the clearest context for Beaverhead County's moderate federal record. Its 5 declarations sit 54% below the Montana county mean, with 2 Major Disaster entries among them. 2 records concern Fire, the file's most frequent incident type. Spread across 20 years, the registry rate is 0.3 per year. FEMA reports authorized programs separately from the DR, EM, and FM codes.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 12 claims and $2.5K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a Montana county averages 11.0 federal declaration records, while Beaverhead County has 5. The gap is 54% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
28 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Beaverhead County, MT · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
4/30
5 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.2x national county average)
County Disaster Density Low
6/25
5 declarations (0.5x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
10/25
2 of 5 declarations are major disasters (40%)
Hazard Diversity Moderate
8/20
3 different disaster types declared in Beaverhead County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
Moderate
vs. Montana Avg
-54%
State avg: 11.0
vs. National Avg
-76%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 20 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Beaverhead County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
40%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
43
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Beaverhead County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | roughly once every 8 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 37 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 24 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,348 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.5 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 35 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 121 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 2,500 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.1 modeled event-days per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Fire 2
Hurricane 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Beaverhead County's record, 40% of its declarations. Wildfire is the one hazard here with its own dedicated federal instrument: the Fire Management Assistance Grant, which appears in this data as an FM record. An FMAG can be authorised while a fire is still burning, on a timescale of hours, because its purpose is to reimburse the cost of fighting a fire that threatens to become a major disaster.
That distinction matters when comparing counties. An FM declaration is not a presidential major disaster declaration and does not carry the same assistance programmes, so a fire-heavy county's total is not directly comparable with a hurricane-heavy county's total unless the declaration types are separated, which is why they are listed separately on this page.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
Fire Management - 1 20.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 5 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 5 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 2318 | MT - CENTRAL ZONE 3C FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2000-08-08 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Beaverhead County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 3,735 | 1 | 2 | $5.3M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,396 | 5 | 24 | $15.1M |
| Hail | 2,015 | 0 | 0 | $4.1M |
| Winter Storm | 1,502 | 13 | 18 | $11.2M |
| Heavy Snow | 796 | 5 | 3 | $143.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
12
Total Paid
$2.5K
Avg Per Claim
$205
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 42.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$9.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Avalanche Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Avalanche
Avalanche is the most geographically restricted hazard in the model, limited to steep terrain holding seasonal snow. Its exposure concentrates on mountain roads, rail corridors and backcountry recreation rather than on the built environment generally.
Worth noting for Beaverhead County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Avalanche carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Fire. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Beaverhead County's closest FEMA peer: Carbon County, WY
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Beaverhead County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Beaverhead County shows 5 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
Similar Major-disaster share
Beaverhead County: 2 of 5 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Beaverhead County: NRI composite 42.9 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Beaverhead County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Avalanche as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively High); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Beaverhead County?
The most common disaster type in Beaverhead County is Fire, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Hurricane (1).
How does Beaverhead County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
The typical Montana county has 11.0 FEMA declaration records; Beaverhead County has 5, or 54% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 76% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Beaverhead County received?
Beaverhead County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 40% of all 5 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Beaverhead County filed?
Beaverhead County has 12 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.5K in payments, with an average of $205 per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Beaverhead County?
No. In Beaverhead County, Avalanche has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $3.1M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Beaverhead County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Beaverhead County was 2000, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2000 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Beaverhead County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Beaverhead County, Montana has an overall risk score of 42.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $9.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Beaverhead County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Beaverhead County as of the latest release is Avalanche (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts avalanche here at roughly once every 8 years, drawn from 4 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Beaverhead County
Against a Montana county mean of 11 declarations, Beaverhead County, MT records 5, or 54% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as moderate activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (2 of 5) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Montana overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 2% of recorded county totals, but its own Montana benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- A short NFIP claims file cannot establish low flood exposure; the data guide explains the limits of each federal measure. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.