Glacier County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30035 · population 13,712 · 2,995 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,904 records for Glacier County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,141 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (1,273 records). 1,730 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 June 8, 2002 winter storm ($2.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1974, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds” on April 7, 2026.
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
- 1,904on 1,141 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 05 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $5.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2026
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 Glacier County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 1,273 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 | 1,273 | 745 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.6M | 2 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 394 | 307 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | 14 of 56 |
| Hail | 75 | 47 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $110K | 47 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 51 | 34 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 48 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 49 | 28 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 32 | 14 | 2013-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 56 |
| Floods | 12 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 7 | 6 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 2015-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1977-2006 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 42 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | $48K | 26 of 56 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 3 | – | 23 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 Glacier County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Glacier County from 1977 to 2006, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Glacier County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Glacier County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-06-13 | Cutbank, Glacier County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-06-06 | Cut Bank, Glacier County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1977-06-01 | Glacier County | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Glacier County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 19, 2026 high wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | FloodBabb, Glacier County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-16 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone Northern High Plains | 44 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBrowning, Glacier County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindBrowning, Glacier County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone Northern High Plains | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone East Glacier Park Region | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-20 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 73 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-20 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone Northern High Plains | 55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-17 | LightningSt Mary, Glacier County Thunderstorms over Glacier Park injured 3 people hiking on the St Mary Falls trail. Time of event is estimated. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2011-11-27 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front A wind gust caused a semi tractor-trailer truck to strike a guardrail on the side of the highway. The guardrail went through the passenger side window of the semi and struck a woman, killing her instantly. The semi driver was injured. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-06-08 | Winter StormGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 1994-06-06 | TornadoCut Bank, Glacier County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1999-10-31 | High WindGlacier County · forecast zone Eastern Glacier / Eastern Pondera / Toole / Liberty | 0 | 0 | $531K | |
| 2007-01-01 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $498K |
| 2026-03-19 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone East Glacier Park Region | 65 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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 1, 1977 (tornado, Glacier 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 Glacier 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 | – | – | – | – | 63 | 297 | 486 | 427 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 60 | 122 | 145 | 67 |
| Hail | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 31 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 25 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 9 | 37 z |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 14 | 18 |
Extreme cold in the 2020-26: 37 records against 9 in the decade before, 37 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 Glacier 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 Glacier County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 282 · Feb 222 · Mar 184 · Apr 106 · May 77 · Jun 105 · Jul 82 · Aug 32 · Sep 82 · Oct 177 · Nov 269 · Dec 286 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Glacier County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Glacier County: 9 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (3) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4902 | Straight-Line Winds | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-05-24 | DR-4271 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-07-03 | DR-1424 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1986-03-15 | DR-761 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1977-08-22 | EM-3050 | Drought | Drought |
| 1975-06-28 | DR-472 | Flood | Rains, Showmelt, Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-01-29 | DR-417 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding & Landslides |
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 Glacier County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Glacier County from 1996 to 2026, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Glacier County ranks 2436th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $32,000 on 8 claims filed in Glacier County; the most in one year was 3 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 2 · 1997: 3 · 2012: 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 Glacier County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Glacier County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $4.8M | 9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $249K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $457K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $412K | once in about 746 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $2K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $275K | once in about 361 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $149K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $3.4M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Glacier 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 Glacier CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Glacier County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis