FEMA Records
9
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Gallatin County, MT
9 FEMA disaster declarations (1981-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 9
- FEMA declarations
- 5
- Major disasters
- 81
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Gallatin 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 in the riskiest 19%.
- Riskiest 19%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 9
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 76
- 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 30031 · Gallatin County 9 declarations · rank 2947/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 9
- MAJOR-MID 56%
- RANK-LOWER #2,947
- PHOTO-FINISH Fulton
- NRI-MID 81
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Fire
- 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
Gallatin County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Gallatin County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Fulton · near 9
Fulton · near
9 declarations
- Gallatin · this county 9
Gallatin · this county
9 declarations
- Hillsdale · near 9
Hillsdale · near
9 declarations
- Prowers · near 9
Prowers · near
9 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Gallatin County carries 9 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2947 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Gallatin County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Gallatin County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Gallatin 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
Gallatin County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Gallatin County is led by Earthquake (about $17.2M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Winter Weather carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Very 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 Gallatin County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 76 paid claims, totaling $340.1K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $4.5K 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 Gallatin 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
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 81.0/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $65.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 49 times per year here, based on 936 historical events on record.
44 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Gallatin 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
14/25
5 of 9 declarations are major disasters (56%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Gallatin County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Gallatin 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
56%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
81
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Gallatin 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | an average of 49 times per year |
| Avalanche | Very High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 2.6 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 18 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 3.6 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 37 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 763 years |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 71 modeled event-days per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 5,000 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 17 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 3
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
Hurricane 1
Flood 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Gallatin County's record, 33% 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 - 5 55.6%
of all 9 declarations
Fire Management - 2 22.2%
of all 9 declarations
Emergency - 2 22.2%
of all 9 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5346 | BRIDGER FOOTHILLS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-05 |
| 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 |
| 1385 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-07-07 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 2321 | MT - SOUTH CENTRAL ZONE 4 FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2000-08-16 |
| 1105 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-02-23 |
| 640 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1981-05-27 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Gallatin 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
76
Total Paid
$340.1K
Avg Per Claim
$4.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 81.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$65.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Very High
Avalanche Very High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Tornado 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: Winter Weather
Winter Weather in the model means the accumulation of snow and cold that disrupts rather than destroys: road closures, roof loads, burst pipes and lost heating. Its costs land heavily on transport and on households least able to absorb an interruption.
Worth noting for Gallatin County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Winter Weather carries the highest modeled rating (Very 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
Gallatin County's closest FEMA peer: Franklin County, IL
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Gallatin County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Gallatin County: NRI composite 81.0 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar Major-disaster share
Gallatin County: 5 of 9 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Gallatin County shows 9 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
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 Gallatin County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Gallatin 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: 81.0 (Relatively Moderate).
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
Gallatin County's NFIP claims file (76 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 Gallatin County?
The most common disaster type in Gallatin County is Fire, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Severe Storm (2), Hurricane (1).
How does Gallatin County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
The typical Montana county has 11.0 FEMA declaration records; Gallatin 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 Gallatin County received?
Gallatin County has received 5 major disaster declarations, representing 56% of all 9 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Gallatin County filed?
Gallatin County has 76 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $340.1K in payments, with an average of $4.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Gallatin County?
No. In Gallatin County, Winter Weather has the highest National Risk Index rating (Very High), while Earthquake leads Expected Annual Loss at about $17.2M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Gallatin County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Gallatin County was 2020, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1981 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Gallatin County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Gallatin County, Montana has an overall risk score of 81.0 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $65.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Gallatin County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Gallatin County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Very High) and Landslide (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts winter weather here at an average of 49 times per year, drawn from 936 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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Gallatin County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events