FEMA Records
21
Above median
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Missoula County, MT
21 FEMA disaster declarations (1974-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 21
- FEMA declarations
- 11
- Major disasters
- 77
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Missoula County. Its 21 FEMA declarations are 91% above the Montana county mean and exceed the count for 52% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 23%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 23%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 21
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 172
- 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 30063 · Missoula County 21 declarations · rank 1415/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-HIGH
- DECL-HEAVY 21
- MAJOR-MID 52%
- RANK-LOWER #1,415
- PHOTO-FINISH Montgomery
- NRI-LOW 77
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Fire
- VS-ST-HIGH +91%
Nearest declaration peer: Montgomery, IN (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Montana state profile
Missoula County in the declaration-count neighbourhood
FEMA declaration records among Missoula County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Atascosa · near 21
Atascosa · near
21 declarations
- Mason · near 21
Mason · near
21 declarations
- Missoula · this county 21
Missoula · this county
21 declarations
- Montgomery · near 21
Montgomery · near
21 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Missoula County carries 21 FEMA declaration records, ranked 1415 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
How Missoula County's FEMA declaration count compares nationally
Missoula County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Missoula County
21 Top 48% higher than 52% 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
Missoula County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Missoula County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $19.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Wildfire carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). 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 Missoula County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 172 paid claims, totaling $973.3K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $5.7K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Missoula County's 21 federal records stand 91% 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 77.0/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $56.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 151 years here.
70 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Missoula 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) High
15/30
21 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.0x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
24/25
21 declarations (1.9x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
11 of 21 declarations are major disasters (52%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Missoula County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Missoula 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
52%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
77
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Missoula 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 Moderate | roughly once every 151 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 2.1 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 3.4 times per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | roughly once every 5 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 76 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 5 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 51 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 1 time per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 22 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 1.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 28 modeled event-days per year |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 25 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 8
Severe Storm 4
Flood 3
Straight-Line Winds 2
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Drought 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Missoula County's record, 38% 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 - 11 52.4%
of all 21 declarations
Fire Management - 7 33.3%
of all 21 declarations
Emergency - 3 14.3%
of all 21 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 1 | |
Show 2 earlier declaration years
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 21 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 21 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 |
| 4813 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2024-08-23 |
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4405 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-10-31 |
| 5207 | RICE RIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-09-09 |
| 5197 | LOLO PEAK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-08-17 |
| 5047 | LOLO CREEK FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2013-08-19 |
| 1996 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-17 |
| 2721 | BLACK CAT FIRE | FM | Fire | 2007-08-16 |
| 2718 | JOCKO LAKES FIRE | FM | Fire | 2007-08-04 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 2490 | MT-MISSOULA/MINERAL FIRE ZONE-08/08/03 | FM | Fire | 2003-08-12 |
| 1385 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-07-07 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 2317 | MT-SOUTHWESTERN ZONE TWO FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2000-08-05 |
| 1183 | SEVERE STORMS,ICE JAMS, SNOW MELT, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-07-25 |
| 1105 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND ICE JAMS | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-02-23 |
| 640 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1981-05-27 |
| 3050 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-08-22 |
Show 1 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 417 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING & LANDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 1974-01-29 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Missoula 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
172
Total Paid
$973.3K
Avg Per Claim
$5.7K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 77.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$56.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively High
Avalanche Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado 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 Missoula County the two measures on this page point the same way: Wildfire is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively Moderate), 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
Missoula County's closest FEMA peer: Fayette County, AL
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Missoula County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Missoula County shows 21 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
Similar Major-disaster share
Missoula County: 11 of 21 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Missoula County: NRI composite 77.0 (Relatively 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 Missoula County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Missoula 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: 77.0 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 21. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Missoula County's NFIP claims file (172 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
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 Missoula County?
The most common disaster type in Missoula County is Fire, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (4), Flood (3), Straight-Line Winds (2).
How does Missoula County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
FEMA lists 21 declaration records for Missoula County. That is 91% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. Its count is also 1% above 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 Missoula County received?
Missoula County has received 11 major disaster declarations, representing 52% of all 21 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Missoula County filed?
Missoula County has 172 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $973.3K in payments, with an average of $5.7K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Missoula County?
No. In Missoula County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $19.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Missoula County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Missoula County was 2000, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1974 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Missoula County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Missoula County, Montana has an overall risk score of 77.0 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Very Low, while community resilience comes in at Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $56.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Missoula County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Missoula County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 151 years. 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.
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 Missoula County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events