FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Lewis and Clark County, MT
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2017–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 71
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Lewis and Clark County ranks in the riskiest 29% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 41% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 3 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2017, most often fire, 22% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 29%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 3
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- fire declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Lewis and Clark County compare?
Lewis and Clark County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
3 41st percentile higher than 41% of 2,791 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 · 2026-07-25
Lewis and Clark County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Montana county average
How disaster-prone is Lewis and Clark County?
Declaration frequency
Lewis and Clark County, Montana has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2017 and 2024, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.4 declarations per year across a 7-year record, or roughly 21% above the Montana county average of 2.5 and 22% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 3 of 3 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 71.2/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $34.8M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Winter Weather stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Lewis and Clark County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Montana Avg
+21%
State avg: 2.5
vs. National Avg
-22%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 7 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Lewis and Clark County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Lewis and Clark County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
30049
MT state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 3
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 3 100.0%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5507 | HORSE GULCH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-07-12 |
| 5286 | NORTH HILLS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-07-28 |
| 5208 | ALICE CREEK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-09-09 |
Storm Events in Montana
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,597 | 2 | 3 | $7.8M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,005 | 6 | 38 | $15.4M |
| Hail | 2,438 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M |
| Winter Storm | 1,763 | 21 | 29 | $11.2M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,055 | 6 | 3 | $253.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 71.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$34.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Very High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Very Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Montana
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Lewis and Clark County, Montana had?
Lewis and Clark County, Montana has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2017 to 2024.
What is the most common disaster type in Lewis and Clark County?
The most common disaster type in Lewis and Clark County is Fire, with 3 declarations.
How does Lewis and Clark County's disaster risk compare to the Montana average?
Lewis and Clark County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 21% higher than the Montana county average of 2.5 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 22% lower.
What types of storms are most common in Montana?
The most common storm types in Montana include High Wind (4,597 events), Thunderstorm Wind (3,005 events), Hail (2,438 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Lewis and Clark County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Lewis and Clark County was 2017, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2017 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Lewis and Clark County?
Lewis and Clark County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Lewis and Clark County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Lewis and Clark County, Montana has an overall risk score of 71.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $34.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Lewis and Clark County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Lewis and Clark County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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.
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.
What this means for Lewis and Clark County
Lewis and Clark County, MT runs 21% above the Montana county average for federal disaster declarations (3 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (3 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Montana overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.