Chouteau County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30015 · population 5,879 · 3,973 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 768 records for Chouteau County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 511 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (243 records). 424 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 most damaging was the October 31, 1999 high wind ($266,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1986, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Flooding” on July 18, 2024.
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
- 768on 511 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 07 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $25Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 2024
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 Chouteau County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 243 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 243 | 183 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $288K | 22 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 155 | 93 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $136K | 31 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 154 | 138 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $107K | 42 of 56 |
| Hail | 152 | 85 | 1958-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 16 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 12 | 1960-2018 | 0 | 7 | $24M | 18 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 11 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 56 |
| Floods | 10 | 10 | 2002-2024 | 0 | 0 | $409K | 52 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2000-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 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 Chouteau County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Chouteau County from 1960 to 2018, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 18th of 56 Montana counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Chouteau County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-07-05 17:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 3 mi | 0 |
| 1988-07-05 17:45, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 12 mi | 0 |
| 1988-07-05 17:45, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Chouteau County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-23 | Highwood, Chouteau County | EF0 1.41 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-06-05 | Eagleton, Chouteau County | EF0 1.05 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-07 | Square Butte, Chouteau County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1998-06-19 | Shonkin, Chouteau County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1992-06-26 | Chouteau County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-07-05 | Chouteau County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-07-05 | Chouteau County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-07-05 | Chouteau County | F3 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1988-07-05 | Chouteau County | F3 12 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1988-07-05 | Chouteau County | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-01 | Chouteau County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-08-04 | Chouteau County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-07-10 | Chouteau County | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step | |
| 1963-07-03 | Chouteau County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1960-06-29 | Chouteau County | 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 Chouteau County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 13, 2000 thunderstorm wind ($3,428 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-14 | High WindHill County and 2 more · forecast zone Bears Paw Mountains And Southern Blaine | 37 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindChouteau County · forecast zone Western And Central Chouteau County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBig Sandy, Chouteau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBig Sandy, Chouteau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindVerona, Chouteau County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindIliad, Chouteau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindGeraldine Airport, Chouteau County | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindLoma, Chouteau County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindShonkin, Chouteau County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBig Sandy, Chouteau County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindWarrick, Chouteau County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindWarrick, Chouteau County | 63 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-07-10 | TornadoChouteau County | 0 | 5 | $2.5M step | |
| 1988-07-05 | TornadoChouteau County | F3 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-10-31 | High WindChouteau County · forecast zone Fergus / Judith Basin | 0 | 0 | $266K | |
| 1998-06-19 | TornadoShonkin, Chouteau County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $91K |
| 1999-07-07 | TornadoSquare Butte, Chouteau County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2000-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindBig Sandy, Chouteau County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 10, 1965 (tornado, Chouteau 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 Chouteau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 24 | 35 | 59 | 125 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 57 | 36 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 41 | 34 | 58 |
| Hail | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 59 | 39 | 12 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
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 Chouteau County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 78 · Feb 50 · Mar 50 · Apr 48 · May 71 · Jun 108 · Jul 118 · Aug 58 · Sep 20 · Oct 35 · Nov 67 · Dec 65 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Chouteau County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Chouteau County: 8 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-18 | DR-4801 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-07-10 | DR-4127 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-07-10 | DR-1922 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1105 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams |
| 1986-03-15 | DR-761 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Landslides & 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Chouteau County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chouteau County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $457K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | 9.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $106K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $172K | once in about 1,754 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.4M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $113K | 65 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $151K | 24 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $913 | 1.2 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 Chouteau 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
- High wind and dust storms in MontanaThe state's high wind and dust 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 Chouteau CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Chouteau County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis