FEMA Records
13
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Carbon County, MT
13 FEMA disaster declarations (1978-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 13
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 60
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Carbon County. Its 13 FEMA declarations are 18% above the Montana county mean and exceed the count for 17% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 40%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 40%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 13
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 59
- 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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 30009 · Carbon County 13 declarations · rank 2678/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 13
- MAJOR-MID 69%
- RANK-LOWER #2,678
- PHOTO-FINISH Clarke
- NRI-LOW 60
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-ABOVE +18%
Nearest declaration peer: Clarke, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Montana state profile
Carbon County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Carbon County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Bristol (city) · near 13
Bristol (city) · near
13 declarations
- Carbon · this county 13
Carbon · this county
13 declarations
- Clarke · near 13
Clarke · near
13 declarations
- Douglas · near 13
Douglas · near
13 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Carbon County carries 13 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2678 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Carbon County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Carbon County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Carbon County
13 17th percentile higher than 17% 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 · 2026-08-25
Carbon County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Carbon County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $11.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Landslide 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 Carbon County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 59 paid claims, totaling $2.7M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $46.0K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Carbon County's 13 federal records stand 18% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 59.8/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $16.3M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Landslide stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 2.5 times per year here.
56 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Carbon 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) Moderate
9/30
13 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
15/25
13 declarations (1.2x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
9 of 13 declarations are major disasters (69%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Carbon County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Carbon 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
69%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
60
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Carbon 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | an average of 2.5 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 315 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 35 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 8 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 21 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 2.3 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 236 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 75 modeled event-days per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 1.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Fire 3
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
Straight-Line Winds 1
Hurricane 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Carbon County's record, 31% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 9 69.2%
of all 13 declarations
Fire Management - 2 15.4%
of all 13 declarations
Emergency - 2 15.4%
of all 13 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 13 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 13 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4902 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2026-04-07 |
| 4745 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-10-11 |
| 4655 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-06-16 |
| 5392 | ROBERTSON DRAW FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-06-16 |
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4405 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-10-31 |
| 1996 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-17 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 2326 | MT - WILLIE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2000-08-28 |
| 1183 | SEVERE STORMS,ICE JAMS, SNOW MELT, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-07-25 |
| 558 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1978-05-29 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Carbon 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
59
Total Paid
$2.7M
Avg Per Claim
$46.0K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 59.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Ice Storm 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: Landslide
Landslide risk is a function of slope, soil and water, so it is usually a SECOND-ORDER hazard: it is triggered by the rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire burn scars or seismic shaking that came first. That is why a county can carry high landslide exposure whose realized damage is recorded under a flood or storm declaration instead.
Worth noting for Carbon County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Landslide carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. 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
Carbon County's closest FEMA peer: Dodge County, WI
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Carbon County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Carbon County shows 13 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Carbon County: 9 of 13 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Carbon County: NRI composite 59.8 (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 Carbon County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Carbon County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 59.8 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 13. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Carbon County's NFIP claims file (59 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
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).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Carbon County?
The most common disaster type in Carbon County is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (3), Biological (2), Severe Storm (2).
How does Carbon County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
FEMA lists 13 declaration records for Carbon County. That is 18% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. Its count is also 37% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Carbon County received?
Carbon County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 69% of all 13 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Carbon County filed?
Carbon County has 59 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.7M in payments, with an average of $46.0K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Carbon County?
No. In Carbon County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $11.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Carbon County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Carbon County was 2000, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1978 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Carbon County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Carbon County, Montana has an overall risk score of 59.8 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Carbon County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Carbon County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Moderate) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at an average of 2.5 times per year. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Carbon County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events