FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Powell County, MT
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2017–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Straight-Line Winds.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 10
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Straight-Line Winds
- Top hazard
The verdict
Powell County ranks safer than 10% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 57% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Very Low, based on 4 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2017, most often straight-line winds, 4% above the national county average of 4.
- Safer than 10%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 4
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- straight-line winds 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 Powell County compare?
Powell County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
4 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
Powell County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Montana county average
How disaster-prone is Powell County?
Declaration frequency
Powell County, Montana has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2017 and 2026, of which 2 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 9-year record, or roughly 61% above the Montana county average of 2.5 and 4% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Straight-Line Winds, with 2 of 4 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 10.0/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.1M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Relatively Moderate) and community resilience (Very Low). Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Powell 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
+61%
State avg: 2.5
vs. National Avg
+4%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Powell County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Powell 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
30077
MT state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Straight-Line Winds 2
Fire 2
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
Fire Management - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4902 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2026-04-07 |
| 5611 | WINDY ROCK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-08-26 |
| 4813 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2024-08-23 |
| 5207 | RICE RIDGE 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
Very Low
Score: 10.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Hail Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind 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 Powell County, Montana had?
Powell County, Montana has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2017 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Powell County?
The most common disaster type in Powell County is Straight-Line Winds, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (2).
How does Powell County's disaster risk compare to the Montana average?
Powell County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 61% higher than the Montana county average of 2.5 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 4% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Powell County received?
Powell County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 4 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
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 Powell County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Powell County was 2017, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2017 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Powell County?
Powell County's 4 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 Powell County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Powell County, Montana has an overall risk score of 10.0 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Powell County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Powell County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Low) and Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate). 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 Powell County
Powell County, MT runs 61% above the Montana county average for federal disaster declarations (4 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 4) - 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.