Pondera County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30073 · population 5,844 · 1,625 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,589 records for Pondera County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,022 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (1,020 records). 1,448 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 23, 2023 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton, which covers the county: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1975, 12 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
- 1,589on 1,022 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 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 Pondera County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 1,020 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 1,020 | 646 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $954K | 1 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 372 | 301 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | $2.6M | 7 of 56 |
| Hail | 76 | 54 | 1956-2024 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 27 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 48 | 24 | 2008-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 48 | 32 | 1980-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 36 of 56 |
| Floods | 11 | 11 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2013-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2015-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 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.
When was the last damaging storm in Pondera County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 19, 2026 high wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindPondera County and Teton County · forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone Northern High Plains | 44 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindPondera County and Teton County · forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-07 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone Northern High Plains | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindPondera County and Teton County · forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-25 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone East Glacier Park Region | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-20 | High WindPondera County and Teton County · forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-20 | High WindGlacier County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Glacier, Western Toole, And Central Pondera | 73 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-23 | Winter WeatherPondera County and Teton County · forecast zone Eastern Pondera And Eastern Teton MT Highway Patrol notified the NWS of a fatal vehicle crash on Interstate 15 near Brady. MHP stated the vehicle crash was caused by slick roadways from snow and ice. NWS employee reported encountering freezing drizzle on I-15 when passing through same area, shortly after the incident. 1 Fatality, 2 injuries. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2011-11-27 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front A wind gust caused a semi tractor-trailer truck to strike a guardrail on the side of the highway. The guardrail went through the passenger side window of the semi and struck a woman, killing her instantly. The semi driver was injured. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1989-07-10 | HailPondera County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-06-08 | Winter StormGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 1994-06-06 | HailValier, Pondera County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2007-01-01 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone North Rocky Mountain Front | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $498K |
| 2026-03-19 | High WindGlacier County and Pondera County · forecast zone East Glacier Park Region | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindConrad Airport, Pondera County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
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 Pondera 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 29 | 217 | 353 | 421 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 42 | 121 | 131 | 78 |
| Hail | 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 3 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 5 | 41 z |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Extreme cold in the 2020-26: 41 records against 5 in the decade before, 41 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 Pondera 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 Pondera County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 237 · Feb 202 · Mar 156 · Apr 94 · May 62 · Jun 92 · Jul 51 · Aug 41 · Sep 59 · Oct 139 · Nov 229 · Dec 227 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Pondera County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Pondera County: 11 major disasters, 2 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (4) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4902 | Straight-Line Winds | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024-07-18 | DR-4801 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-08-30 | DR-4388 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2017-09-12 | FM-5212 | Fire | Strawberry Fire |
| 2016-05-24 | DR-4271 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2014-04-17 | DR-4172 | Flood | Ice Jams and Flooding |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-07-03 | DR-1424 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1986-03-15 | DR-761 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1975-06-28 | DR-472 | Flood | Rains, Showmelt, Storms & 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Pondera County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pondera County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.5M | 9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $70K | 34 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $112K | once in about 2,216 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $62K | 65 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $188K | once in about 356 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $55 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $66 | 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 Pondera County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- High wind and dust storms in MontanaThe state's high wind and dust 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 Pondera CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Pondera County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis