Madison County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30057 · population 8,605 · 3,588 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 676 records for Madison County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 483 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (275 records). 589 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 November 26, 1999 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Gallatin / Madison, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1997, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on June 17, 2011.
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
- 676on 483 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $339Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F0
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 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 Madison County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 275 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 275 | 224 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 7 | $212K | 29 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 264 | 183 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $45K | 18 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 40 | 32 | 1994-2026 | 0 | 1 | $29K | 52 of 56 |
| Hail | 29 | 19 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 16 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 16 | 13 | 2021-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 56 |
| Floods | 11 | 11 | 2003-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 2 | 2013-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 6 | 1998-2023 | 2 | 0 | – | 15 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1992-1999 | 0 | 0 | $53K | 49 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 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 Madison County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Madison County from 1992 to 1999, the strongest rated F0, 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Madison County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Madison County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-06-29 | Ennis Big Sky Airport, Madison County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-06-29 | Madison County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 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 Madison County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 21, 2023 winter storm (6 injuries).
Near blizzard conditions resulted in a 3-vehicle non-injury accident on MT Highway 287 in Sheridan at mile marker 35.5, reported at 9:38. Multi-car pile-up reported at 16:02 at mile marker 37 on MT Highway 287 in Sheridan. Ten vehicles were involved, and a loaded school bus was stuck in the chaos. There were six ambulatory patients. Conditions were blizzard-like, with little to no visibility. The temperature with wind chill was approximately -37. Victims were escorted to a local church to speak with Montana Highway Patrol and evaluated by EMTs. Some vehicles were left in the ditches until the weather improved for them to be removed safely. Throughout the evening and the following day, there were additional slide-offs. Two minutes after the 10-car pile-up report, another incident at mile marker 1 MT Highway 84 in Norris occurred on the opposite side of the county, reported at 16:04. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1078057)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison River Valley | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-28 | Thunderstorm WindEnnis, Madison County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindTwin Bridges Airport, Madison County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCameron, Madison County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 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 WindBeaverhead County and Madison County · forecast zone Ruby Mountains And Southern Beaverhead Mountains | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | High WindBeaverhead County and Madison County · forecast zone Beaverhead And Western Madison Below 6000ft | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison River Valley | 59 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 | – | |
| 2026-04-22 | High WindBeaverhead County and Madison County · forecast zone Beaverhead And Western Madison Below 6000ft | 53 kt wind | 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 | High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison River Valley | 35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-11-26 | AvalancheMadison County · forecast zone Gallatin / Madison | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-01-18 | AvalancheMadison County · forecast zone Gallatin/Madison Fatality was a snowmobiler | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-02-21 | Winter StormMadison County · forecast zone Madison River Valley Near blizzard conditions resulted in a 3-vehicle non-injury accident on MT Highway 287 in Sheridan at mile marker 35.5, reported at 9:38. Multi-car pile-up reported at 16:02 at mile marker 37 on MT Highway 287 in Sheridan. Ten vehicles were involved, and a loaded school bus was stuck in the chaos. There were six ... | 0 | 6 | – | |
| 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 | – | |
| 2007-08-18 | Thunderstorm WindVirginia City, Madison County A severe thunderstorm produced a wind gust to 60 mph at Virginia City 2W. The strong wind blew a sign (2 feet by 2 feet) through a windshield of a car, injuring the driver. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
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 Madison 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 | – | – | – | – | 47 | 63 | 50 | 115 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 11 | 85 z | 161 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 85 records against 11 in the decade before, 85 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 Madison 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 Madison County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 66 · Feb 92 · Mar 75 · Apr 65 · May 34 · Jun 54 · Jul 21 · Aug 31 · Sep 14 · Oct 59 · Nov 65 · Dec 100 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Madison County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Madison County: 4 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for biological (2) and severe storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2000-08-08 | FM-2318 | Fire | Mt - Central Zone 3c Fire Complex |
| 1997-07-25 | DR-1183 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, 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 Madison County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 11 flood or flash flood records for Madison County from 2003 to 2020, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Madison County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $26,000 on 6 claims filed in Madison County; the most in one year was 2 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1997: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 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 Madison County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | $6.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $192K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 998 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.9M | once in about 31 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $99K | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $164K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $30K | 92 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Madison 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 Madison CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Madison County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis