Gallatin County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30031 · population 118,825 · 2,605 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 819 records for Gallatin County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 554 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (357 records). 582 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 February 6, 2022 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Gallatin, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 1981, 7 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Bridger Foothills Fire” on September 5, 2020.
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
- 819on 554 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 511 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $84Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 2020
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 Gallatin County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 357 since 2000. 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 | 357 | 254 | 2000-2026 | 1 | 1 | $735K | 15 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 166 | 119 | 2001-2026 | 1 | 0 | $15K | 23 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 115 | 78 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $147K | 21 of 56 |
| Hail | 94 | 53 | 1958-2024 | 0 | 0 | $81M | 44 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 14 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 21 | 17 | 2000-2026 | 0 | 6 | $548K | 4 of 56 |
| Floods | 15 | 15 | 2003-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 36 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 14 | 14 | 2000-2023 | 2 | 4 | – | 6 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2007-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 3 | 1960-1997 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 40 of 56 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2025-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 56 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 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 Gallatin County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Gallatin County from 1960 to 1997, the strongest rated F1, 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 4 tornadoes whose track touched Gallatin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 4, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Gallatin County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-07-02 | Bozeman, Gallatin County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-07-02 | Bozeman, Gallatin County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-05-17 | Nr Trident, Gallatin County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-06-15 | Gallatin County | F1 1.3 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Gallatin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 10, 2023 flood ($969,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Churchill area saw pretty good runoff occur. Several locations around Amsterdam (Camp and Godfrey Creeks) had water up against houses. The Highline Canal near Gallatin Gateway overtopped in several locations due to runoff. One house and Axtell Anceny Road were affected. Residents on Dry Creek Road and Swamp Creek Road had flood water around houses. This caused the evacuation of the Bootstrap Ranch. County Roads had several roads closed with water on them.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1096960)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | High WindBeaverhead County and 2 more · forecast zone Gallatin And Madison County Mountains And Centennial Mountains | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | High WindGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin Valley | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-22 | Heavy SnowBeaverhead County and 2 more · forecast zone Gallatin And Madison County Mountains And Centennial Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Heavy SnowBeaverhead County and 2 more · forecast zone Gallatin And Madison County Mountains And Centennial Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Heavy SnowGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindLewis and Clark County and 3 more · forecast zone Big Belt, Bridger And Castle Mountains | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Heavy SnowGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter StormFremont County and 3 more · forecast zone Yellowstone National Park | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindLewis and Clark County and 3 more · forecast zone Big Belt, Bridger And Castle Mountains | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-18 | WildfireJefferson County and 2 more · forecast zone Missouri Headwaters | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-18 | WildfireGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-17 | HeatFremont County and 3 more · forecast zone Yellowstone National Park | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-02-06 | AvalancheGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center reports a snowmobiler was caught in a natural avalanche near the Lionhead Recreation area. Individual was carried into trees by the avalanche. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-11 | Winter StormGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin KBZK-TV in Bozeman reported that the MT Highway Patrol reported a fatal crash on I-90 near mile marker 280, just east of Three Forks. Roadways were slick. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-01-01 | AvalancheGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin An avalanche occurred in the Portal Creek area just south of Bozeman, MT. One snowmobile fatality was reported. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-12-13 | High WindGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin An estimated wind gust to 60 mph blew a worker off the roof of the Federal Building in downtown Bozeman resulting in his death (direct fatality). | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1999-06-17 | LightningBozeman, Gallatin County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-09-01 | WildfireBelgrade, Gallatin County Maudlow/Toston fire - included Broadwater County, 81687 acres burned, 1 resident destroyed, 1 outbuilding destroyed, human caused, continued from August. | 0 | 3 | $274K | |
| 2000-08-15 | WildfireBelgrade, Gallatin County Maudlow/Toston fire - included southeast Broadwater County, 81687 acres burned, 1 resident destroyed, 1 outbuilding destroyed, human caused, continued past August 31. | 0 | 3 | $274K | |
| 2022-10-22 | Winter StormBeaverhead County and 2 more · forecast zone Gallatin And Madison County Mountains And Centennial Mountains Search and Rescue teams faced difficult terrain and harsh weather while attempting a backcountry rescue in snowy and icy conditions. Details...Gallatin County 911 received a call from the Garmin International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC), who had received an SOS from a satellite communication device. ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-30 | HailBozeman, Gallatin County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $81M |
| 2023-04-10 | FloodChestnut, Gallatin County | 0 | 0 | $969K | |
| 2003-03-12 | FloodGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin | 0 | 0 | $802K | |
| 2001-06-13 | Heavy SnowGallatin County · forecast zone Gallatin | 0 | 0 | $590K | |
| 2000-08-15 | WildfireBelgrade, Gallatin County | 0 | 3 | $274K | |
| 2000-09-01 | WildfireBelgrade, Gallatin County | 0 | 3 | $274K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 15, 1960 (tornado, Gallatin 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 Gallatin 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 | 79 | 114 | 164 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 54 z | 103 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 27 | 40 |
| Hail | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 27 | 18 | 25 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 2 | 21 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 54 records against 9 in the decade before, 54 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Gallatin County days with a record above.
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 Gallatin County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 67 · Feb 100 · Mar 76 · Apr 65 · May 46 · Jun 68 · Jul 85 · Aug 63 · Sep 20 · Oct 54 · Nov 91 · Dec 84 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gallatin County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Gallatin County: 5 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-05 | FM-5346 | Fire | Bridger Foothills Fire |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-07-07 | DR-1385 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2000-08-16 | FM-2321 | Fire | Mt - South Central Zone 4 Fire Complex |
| 1996-02-23 | DR-1105 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ice Jams |
| 1981-05-27 | DR-640 | 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 Gallatin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 15 flood or flash flood records for Gallatin County from 2003 to 2023, on 15 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gallatin County ranks 1446th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $340,000 on 76 claims filed in Gallatin County; the most in one year was 13 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 6 · 1981: 10 · 1982: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 13 · 1998: 2 · 2002: 2 · 2008: 8 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 9 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1; 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 Gallatin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gallatin County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $65.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | $3.6M | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very High | $7.2M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $14M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.2M | 37 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $352K | 2.6 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $17M | once in about 18 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | once in about 763 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Gallatin 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 Gallatin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gallatin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis