Carbon County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30009 · population 10,455 · 2,048 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 803 records for Carbon County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 517 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (494 records). 610 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the October 25, 2023 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Southeastern Carbon, which covers the county: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1978, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on April 7, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 803on 517 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 166 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $3.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Carbon County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 494 since 2002. The rank column places the county among Montana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 494 | 321 | 2002-2026 | 3 | 2 | – | 10 of 56 |
| Hail | 118 | 70 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 87 | 64 | 2005-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 37 | 34 | 1973-2026 | 0 | 0 | $104K | 42 of 56 |
| Floods | 21 | 18 | 1997-2023 | 1 | 0 | $2.1M | 24 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 13 | 12 | 1998-2021 | 1 | 1 | $950K | 8 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 5 | 2001-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 10 | 10 | 2010-2022 | 10 | 3 | – | 7 of 56 |
| Drought | 6 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1988-2010 | 0 | 0 | $17K | 33 of 56 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 1 | 0 | – | 17 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 56 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Carbon County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Carbon County from 1988 to 2010, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 3 tornadoes whose track touched Carbon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Carbon County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-16 | Warren, Carbon County | EF2 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 1990-05-24 | Carbon County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-03-23 | Carbon County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Carbon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 25, 2023 winter weather (1 death and 2 injuries).
Please see Event Narrative.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1143943)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | HailBridger, Carbon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-20 | Winter StormCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-13 | High WindCarbon County · forecast zone Red Lodge Foothills | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindHillsboro, Carbon County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-22 | Winter StormCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-22 | High WindCarbon County · forecast zone Red Lodge Foothills | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Winter StormCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormBig Horn County and Carbon County · forecast zone Pryor/Northern Bighorn Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormBig Horn County and Carbon County · forecast zone Bighorn Canyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-13 | Winter StormCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormCarbon County · forecast zone Red Lodge Foothills | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormCarbon County · forecast zone Northern Carbon | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-10-25 | Winter WeatherCarbon County · forecast zone Southeastern Carbon Please see Event Narrative. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-12-27 | AvalancheCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains Please see episode narrative. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2022-02-19 | AvalancheCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains Please see Episode Narrative. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-07-16 | WildfireCarbon County · forecast zone Northern Carbon Please see Episode Narrative. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-12-31 | AvalancheCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absaroka / Beartooth Mountains Please see Episode write-up. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-02-05 | Winter WeatherCarbon County · forecast zone Eastern Carbon Highway 212 was closed for nearly four hours during the afternoon and evening on February 5th due to a fatal crash three miles west of Joliet. According to Montana Highway Patrol, a man was driving southbound and attempted to pass a pickup in front of him, but with whiteout conditions created from a plow further ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-12-11 | AvalancheCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains A skier was killed by an avalanche on Henderson Mountain outside Cooke City on December 11th. The skier was in a party of 5 and his descent was the 7th track on the slope when it avalanched. He was carried into trees and buried under 5' of snow. Another person was buried to his waist, uninjured, as he stood in the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-12-19 | AvalancheCarbon County and 3 more · forecast zone Absarokee / Beartooth Mountains A snowmobiler died in an avalanche on Saturday, December 19th outside Cooke City. The avalanche occurred on the southeast face of Sheep Mountain between Lulu Pass and Round Lake. The slide was triggered from low on the slope by the victim who was subsequently buried six fee deep. The victim had an airbag but was ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-20 | FloodWashoe, Carbon County | 1 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-07-17 | WildfireRed Lodge, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $950K | |
| 2011-07-01 | FloodFox, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $787K | |
| 2010-06-16 | TornadoWarren, Carbon County | EF2 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 23, 1988 (tornado, Carbon County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Carbon County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 135 | 200 | 159 |
| Hail | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 42 | 36 | 14 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 27 | 49 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 11 | 4 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Carbon County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 62 · Feb 113 · Mar 104 · Apr 82 · May 62 · Jun 83 · Jul 63 · Aug 26 · Sep 13 · Oct 52 · Nov 80 · Dec 63 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Carbon County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Carbon County: 9 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and fire (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4902 | Straight-Line Winds | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2023-10-11 | DR-4745 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022-06-16 | DR-4655 | Flood | Severe Storm and Flooding |
| 2021-06-16 | FM-5392 | Fire | Robertson Draw Fire |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-10-31 | DR-4405 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2000-08-28 | FM-2326 | Fire | Mt - Willie Fire |
| 1997-07-25 | DR-1183 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding |
| 1978-05-29 | DR-558 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Carbon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 21 flood or flash flood records for Carbon County from 1997 to 2023, on 18 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Carbon County ranks 1584th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.7 million on 59 claims filed in Carbon County; the most in one year was 20 in 2022. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1991: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 5 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 2 · 2011: 13 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 20; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Carbon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carbon County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $854K | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 315 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $490K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $93K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $11M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $174K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Carbon County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MontanaEvery Montana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in MontanaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Montana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Carbon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Carbon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis