FEMA Records
13
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Garfield County, MT
13 FEMA disaster declarations (1987-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 13
- FEMA declarations
- 8
- Major disasters
- 2
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Garfield County. Its 13 FEMA declarations are 18% above the Montana county mean and exceed the count for 17% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 2%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 2%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 13
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 5
- 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 30033 · Garfield County 13 declarations · rank 2706/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 13
- MAJOR-MID 62%
- RANK-LOWER #2,706
- PHOTO-FINISH Clarke
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Fire
- VS-ST-ABOVE +18%
Nearest declaration peer: Clarke, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Montana state profile
Garfield County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Garfield County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Bristol (city) · near 13
Bristol (city) · near
13 declarations
- Clarke · near 13
Clarke · near
13 declarations
- Douglas · near 13
Douglas · near
13 declarations
- Garfield · this county 13
Garfield · this county
13 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Garfield County carries 13 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2706 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Garfield County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Garfield County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Garfield County
13 17th percentile higher than 17% 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
Garfield County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Garfield County is led by Cold Wave (about $885.5K Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Wildfire carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low). 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 Garfield County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 2.5/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $2.6M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile and Relatively High community resilience. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Wildfire, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 275 years here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 5 claims and $2.5K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Garfield County's 13 federal records stand 18% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
57 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Garfield 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) Moderate
9/30
13 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
15/25
13 declarations (1.2x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
8 of 13 declarations are major disasters (62%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Garfield County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Garfield 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
62%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
2
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Garfield 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 275 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 11 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | an average of 2.2 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 27 times per year |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.4 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 61 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 18 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 3 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 3,049 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | an average of 1.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 4
Flood 3
Biological 2
Straight-Line Winds 1
Other 1
Severe Storm 1
Hurricane 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Garfield County's record, 31% 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 - 8 61.5%
of all 13 declarations
Fire Management - 3 23.1%
of all 13 declarations
Emergency - 2 15.4%
of all 13 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 13 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 13 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4902 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2026-04-07 |
| 4745 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-10-11 |
| 4608 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Other | 2021-08-13 |
| 5343 | HUFF FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-02 |
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 5194 | LODGEPOLE FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2017-07-27 |
| 4127 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-07-10 |
| 1996 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-17 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 2483 | MT - MISSOURI BREAKS COMPLEX FIRE 07/16/03 | FM | Fire | 2003-07-23 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 777 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-10-14 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Garfield 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
5
Total Paid
$2.5K
Avg Per Claim
$500
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 2.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$2.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Drought Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Avalanche 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: Wildfire
Wildfire risk in the model reflects fuel, terrain, weather and how much development sits in the wildland-urban interface. It is one of the few hazards where the exposure is materially changed by land management and building choices, not only by where the county happens to be.
For Garfield County the two measures on this page point the same way: Wildfire is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively Low), and Fire declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
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
Garfield County's closest FEMA peer: Mercer County, PA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Garfield County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Garfield County shows 13 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
Similar Major-disaster share
Garfield County: 8 of 13 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Garfield County: NRI composite 2.5 (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 Garfield County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Garfield 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: 2.5 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 13. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 13 FEMA declarations, Garfield County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Garfield County?
The most common disaster type in Garfield County is Fire, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Biological (2), Straight-Line Winds (1).
How does Garfield County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
FEMA lists 13 declaration records for Garfield County. That is 18% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. Its count is also 37% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Garfield County received?
Garfield County has received 8 major disaster declarations, representing 62% of all 13 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Garfield County filed?
Garfield County has 5 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.5K in payments, with an average of $500 per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Garfield County?
No. In Garfield County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low), while Cold Wave leads Expected Annual Loss at about $885.5K. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Garfield County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Garfield County was 2020, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1987 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Garfield County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Garfield County, Montana has an overall risk score of 2.5 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $2.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Garfield County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Garfield County as of the latest release is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Cold Wave (Relatively Low) and Landslide (Very Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 275 years. 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 Garfield County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events