FEMA Records
9
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Custer County, MT
9 FEMA disaster declarations (2000-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 9
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 42
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Custer County: 9 FEMA declaration records are 18% below the Montana county mean, even though the count is higher than 8% 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 42%.
- Safer than 42%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 9
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 156
- 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 30017 · Custer County 9 declarations · rank 2983/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 9
- MAJOR-MID 67%
- RANK-LOWER #2,983
- PHOTO-FINISH Fulton
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-BELOW -18%
Nearest declaration peer: Fulton, OH (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Montana state profile
Custer County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Custer County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Custer · this county 9
Custer · this county
9 declarations
- Fulton · near 9
Fulton · near
9 declarations
- Gallatin · near 9
Gallatin · near
9 declarations
- Hillsdale · near 9
Hillsdale · near
9 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Custer County carries 9 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2983 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Custer County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Custer County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Custer County
9 8th percentile higher than 8% 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
Custer County's FEMA Risk Index score
What does Custer County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 156 paid claims, totaling $400.1K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $2.6K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Montana county averages 11.0 federal declaration records, while Custer County has 9. The gap is 18% 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 42.1/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $10.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively High) and community resilience (Relatively Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Cold Wave carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 6.3 times per year here, based on 120 historical events on record.
47 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Custer 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
7/30
9 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.4x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
10/25
9 declarations (0.8x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
6 of 9 declarations are major disasters (67%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Custer County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Custer 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
67%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
42
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 6.3 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 16 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 189 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 31 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | an average of 2.9 times per year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.8 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 2.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 4,651 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 61 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 4 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
Fire 2
Biological 2
Flood 2
Severe Storm 2
Hurricane 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Custer County's record, 22% 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 - 6 66.7%
of all 9 declarations
Emergency - 2 22.2%
of all 9 declarations
Fire Management - 1 11.1%
of all 9 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 9 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 9 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5345 | SNIDER/RICE FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2020-09-03 |
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4405 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-10-31 |
| 4127 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-07-10 |
| 1996 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-17 |
| 1767 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-13 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Custer 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
156
Total Paid
$400.1K
Avg Per Claim
$2.6K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 42.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$10.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Landslide Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado 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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Custer County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), 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
Custer County's closest FEMA peer: Guadalupe County, NM
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Custer County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Custer County shows 9 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Custer County: 6 of 9 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Custer County: NRI composite 42.1 (Very 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 Custer County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Custer 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: 42.1 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 9. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Custer County's NFIP claims file (156 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 Custer County?
The most common disaster type in Custer County is Flood, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (2), Biological (2), Severe Storm (2).
How does Custer County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
The typical Montana county has 11.0 FEMA declaration records; Custer County has 9, or 18% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 57% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Custer County received?
Custer County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 9 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Custer County filed?
Custer County has 156 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $400.1K in payments, with an average of $2.6K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Custer County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Custer County was 2020, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2000 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Custer County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Custer County, Montana has an overall risk score of 42.1 out of 100 (Very 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 $10.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Custer County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Custer County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively High) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 6.3 times per year, drawn from 120 historical events on record. 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 Custer County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events