FEMA Records
12
Low volume
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Petroleum County, MT
12 FEMA disaster declarations (1986-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 1
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Petroleum County. Its 12 FEMA declarations are 9% above the Montana county mean and exceed the count for 14% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 1%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 1%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 12
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 4
- flood declarations, the most common hazard here
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 30069 · Petroleum County 12 declarations · rank 2791/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 12
- MAJOR-MID 75%
- RANK-LOWER #2,791
- PHOTO-FINISH Johnson
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-ABOVE +9%
Nearest declaration peer: Johnson, KS (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Montana state profile
Petroleum County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Petroleum County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Crane · near 12
Crane · near
12 declarations
- Johnson · near 12
Johnson · near
12 declarations
- Petroleum · this county 12
Petroleum · this county
12 declarations
- Seward · near 12
Seward · near
12 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Petroleum County carries 12 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2791 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Petroleum County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Petroleum County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Petroleum County
12 14th percentile higher than 14% 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
Petroleum County's FEMA Risk Index score
What does Petroleum County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 1.3/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $1.6M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile and Very Low community resilience. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Lightning carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 29 times per year here, based on 13,063 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
No paid-claim row for this county appears in the NFIP county table used by PlainHazard. That absence is not evidence that flooding never occurred: the register observes claims under federal flood-insurance policies, not uninsured losses, emergency reports, or every flood outside the program. The FEMA declaration history below is therefore the available federal-action record on this page.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Petroleum County's 12 federal records stand 9% 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.
55 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Petroleum 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) Moderate
9/30
12 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
14/25
12 declarations (1.1x state county average of 11)
Major Disaster Share Very High
19/25
9 of 12 declarations are major disasters (75%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Petroleum County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Petroleum 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
75%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
1
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Petroleum 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 29 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 235 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 7.7 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 71 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 17 times per year |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 2.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 4,032 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Severe Storm 3
Biological 2
Fire 2
Hurricane 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Petroleum County's record, 33% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 9 75.0%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 2 16.7%
of all 12 declarations
Fire Management - 1 8.3%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 12 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 12 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4801 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-07-18 |
| 4745 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-10-11 |
| 4508 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-31 |
| 3476 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4388 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-08-30 |
| 5194 | LODGEPOLE FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2017-07-27 |
| 4198 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-10-09 |
| 4127 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-07-10 |
| 1996 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-17 |
| 3253 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1340 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2000-08-30 |
| 761 | HEAVY RAINS, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-03-15 |
Storm Events in Montana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Petroleum 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
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 1.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$1.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Hail Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Ice Storm 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: Lightning
Lightning is modeled as a high-frequency, low-per-event hazard: strike counts are large, but each strike affects a very small area. Its aggregate cost accumulates through structure fires, electrical and electronic damage, and it is one of the few hazards whose risk is essentially continuous through the season rather than episodic.
Worth noting for Petroleum County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Lightning carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
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
Petroleum County's closest FEMA peer: Johnson County, KS
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Petroleum County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Petroleum County shows 12 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Petroleum County: 9 of 12 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Petroleum County: NRI composite 1.3 (Very 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 Petroleum County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Petroleum 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: 1.3 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 12. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 12 FEMA declarations, Petroleum County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Petroleum County?
The most common disaster type in Petroleum County is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (3), Biological (2), Fire (2).
How does Petroleum County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Montana average?
FEMA lists 12 declaration records for Petroleum County. That is 9% above the Montana county mean of 11.0. Its count is also 42% below 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 Petroleum County received?
Petroleum County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 75% of all 12 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Petroleum County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Petroleum County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1986 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Petroleum County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Petroleum County, Montana has an overall risk score of 1.3 out of 100 (Very Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively Low, while community resilience comes in at Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $1.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Petroleum County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Petroleum County is Lightning (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Low) and Cold Wave (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts lightning here at an average of 29 times per year, drawn from 13,063 historical events on record. 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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Petroleum County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Montana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events