Lake County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30047 · population 31,051 · 1,490 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,138 records for Lake County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 699 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (769 records). 1,025 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 13, 2025 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys, which covers the county: 4 deaths and 4 injuries. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 2000, 6 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
- 1,138on 699 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 3352 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $20Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 4strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Lake County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 769 since 1996. 43% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 769 | 474 | 1996-2026 | 20 | 39 | $7.7M | 1 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 133 | 84 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 10 | $4.1M | 17 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 82 | 49 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 5 of 56 |
| Hail | 48 | 33 | 1962-2024 | 0 | 0 | $70K | 41 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 46 | 41 | 1961-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 28 of 56 |
| Floods | 18 | 15 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $3.1M | 16 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 15 | 15 | 2003-2022 | 6 | 3 | – | 1 of 56 |
| Heat | 6 | 4 | 2018-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 5 | 2006-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 13 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 4 | 1991-2023 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 20 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 2 | 2007-2021 | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | 31 of 56 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1997-2009 | 0 | 0 | $193K | 6 of 56 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2000-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 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 Lake County had?
NOAA records 4 tornadoes in Lake County from 1991 to 2023, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th of 56 Montana counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 Lake 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 Lake County (4)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-09 | St Ignatius Airport, Lake County | EF0 0.47 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2011-09-01 | Polson Airport, Lake County | EF0 0.73 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-07-18 | Pablo, Lake County | EF0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 1991-03-03 | Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 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 Lake County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 29, 2026 flood ($4,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | FloodBig Arm, Lake County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | Frost/FreezeGranite County and 3 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-29 | FloodRollins, Lake County | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2026-05-16 | Winter WeatherFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-16 | Winter WeatherFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-25 | Frost/FreezeFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-23 | Winter WeatherGranite County and 3 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-23 | Winter WeatherFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Winter WeatherFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter WeatherGranite County and 3 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | Winter WeatherFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Strong WindFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-13 | Winter StormFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys Multiple social media reports indicated that roads became very slick during the evening of the 14th. One individual noted that while at the ER, three or four separate people were being treated for serious injuries from vehicle accidents that evening. Another person stated, 'Highway 2 between Evergreen and Columbia ... | 4 | 4 | – | |
| 2026-02-14 | Winter WeatherGranite County and 3 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region On the morning of February 15, 2026, a head-on collision involving two SUVs occurred on Highway 200 just west of Bear Creek. The accident resulted in three injuries requiring hospitalization and a two-hour closure of the highway. Precipitation totals in the vicinity of the accident ranged from 0.10 to 0.22 inches. | 3 | 3 | – | |
| 1996-06-04 | FloodFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region Major damage from flooding occurred mainly in Ravalli County were numerous roads were flooded and washed out. The worst road damage occurred on the Skalkaho Highway between the Bitterroot Valley and the Philipsburg/Anaconda area were water was diverted into the road in several places. Flooding on the Bitterroot River ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-07 | Winter WeatherGranite County and 3 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region At least two crashes involving injuries were reported by the Montana Department of Justice crash webpage: one near Clinton and another near Seeley Lake. Snowfall was light, with only 1 to 2 inches reported by observers, but breezy north to east winds between 10 and 20 mph caused blowing snow and reduced visibility, ... | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2008-01-13 | AvalancheFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region Flathead County Search and Rescue personnel reported a large avalanche on the back side of Big Mountain Ski Resort. Two skiers were killed and one was injured. The avalanche was initiated by another skier who was skiing out of bounds in an area closed to skiing. | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-04-14 | Strong WindFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region Two teenager kayakers drowned on Swan Lake following the development of strong offshore winds. | 26 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-01 | AvalancheLake County and 2 more · forecast zone Potomac / Seeley Lake Region Three snowmobilers were involved in an avalanche approximately 1 mile northwest of Lake Dinah, or about 12 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. The riders were caught and carried a short distance; two were fully buried, and one extricated himself after being separated from his snowmobile. The dimensions of the avalanche ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-01-14 | AvalancheFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region Three snowmobilers were caught in a massive avalanche at Red Meadow Lake near Olney. One person survived, while two others perished. One of the fatalities was the result of injuries sustained in the incident. The other was caused by suffocation, a result of being buried. | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-08 | Winter StormFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 0 | 0 | $5.9M | |
| 2021-08-01 | WildfireFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 1997-05-01 | FloodFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2020-04-11 | Strong WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2005-06-02 | FloodFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 1993-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindSwan Lake, Lake County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindFlathead County and 2 more · forecast zone Flathead/Mission Valleys | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 2024-11-20 | Winter StormFlathead County and Lake County · forecast zone West Glacier Region | 0 | 0 | $470K |
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: March 3, 1991 (tornado, Lake 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 Lake 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 | – | – | – | – | 81 | 260 | 268 | 160 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 28 | 43 | 55 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 6 | 17 | 34 | 25 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 9 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 199 · Feb 169 · Mar 102 · Apr 65 · May 46 · Jun 55 · Jul 46 · Aug 38 · Sep 34 · Oct 61 · Nov 135 · Dec 188 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lake County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Lake County: 5 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| 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 |
| 2019-05-24 | DR-4437 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2014-04-17 | DR-4172 | Flood | Ice Jams and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2000-08-14 | FM-2320 | Fire | Mt - Northwestern Zone 1 Fire Complex |
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 Lake County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 18 flood or flash flood records for Lake County from 1996 to 2026, on 15 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lake County ranks 2291st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $20,000 on 12 claims filed in Lake County; the most in one year was 9 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1997: 9 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2014: 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 Lake County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lake County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $23.0 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 | Relatively High | $532K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.6M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | once in about 444 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $6.6M | once in about 36 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $53K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.5M | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $220K | once in about 10 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.1M | 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 Lake 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 Lake CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lake County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis