Prairie County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30079 · population 1,081 · 1,737 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 527 records for Prairie County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 347 days; the most frequent are hail reports (185 records). The most damaging was the June 6, 2005 thunderstorm wind ($219,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1997, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Ice Jams and Flooding” on April 17, 2014.
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
- 527on 347 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 03 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F2
- 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 Prairie County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 185 since 1960. 73% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 185 | 106 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $173K | 4 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 118 | 73 | 1990-2025 | 0 | 0 | $846K | 14 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 74 | 72 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 3 | $14K | 33 of 56 |
| Drought | 44 | 44 | 2005-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 42 | 40 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $85K | 41 of 56 |
| Floods | 24 | 22 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | $198K | 9 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 21 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 7 | 2005-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 56 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2002-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1955-2011 | 0 | 0 | $374K | 31 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2003-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 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 Prairie County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Prairie County from 1955 to 2011, the strongest rated F2, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Prairie County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Prairie County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-05-20 | Terry, Prairie County | EF1 0.09 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 1962-07-18 | Prairie County | F2 40.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-07-06 | Prairie County | F1 | 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 Prairie County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 15, 2024 ice storm (3 injuries).
Three injuries occurred with this icing event in Prairie County. Interstate 94 was closed from Glendive to Miles City from 430 am to 10 am. Two of the injuries required emergency treatment. Emergency travel only, or severe driving conditions were noted on the Montana DOT 511 website in the area.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1220450)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-12 | DroughtPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | High WindPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 67 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-15 | High WindPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-12 | Heavy SnowPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-21 | Thunderstorm WindMc Cloud, Prairie County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-21 | HailMc Cloud, Prairie County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-25 | HailSutherland, Prairie County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-25 | HailBlatchford, Prairie County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-20 | HailKamm, Prairie County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-20 | HailTerry, Prairie County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-15 | Ice StormPrairie County · forecast zone Prairie Three injuries occurred with this icing event in Prairie County. Interstate 94 was closed from Glendive to Miles City from 430 am to 10 am. Two of the injuries required emergency treatment. Emergency travel only, or severe driving conditions were noted on the Montana DOT 511 website in the area. | 0 | 3 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindTerry, Prairie County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $219K |
| 2006-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindTerry, Prairie County | 77 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $176K |
| 1993-08-16 | Thunderstorm WindTerry, Prairie County | 0 | 0 | $112K | |
| 2011-05-20 | TornadoTerry, Prairie County | EF1 0.09 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2008-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindMildred, Prairie County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2005-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindTerry, Prairie County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 6, 1955 (tornado, Prairie County).
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 Prairie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 82 | 48 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 42 | 36 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 36 | 20 | 10 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 7 | 33 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 15 | 11 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 7 | 14 | 1 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 33 records against 7 in the decade before, 33 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 Prairie 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?
73% of its hail reports since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 28 · Mar 23 · Apr 22 · May 41 · Jun 103 · Jul 148 · Aug 59 · Sep 16 · Oct 12 · Nov 14 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Prairie County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Prairie County: 5 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. 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 |
| 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 |
| 2000-08-30 | DR-1340 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Prairie County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Prairie County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.2 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 Low | $1.3M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $17K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $67K | once in about 379 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $6K | 42 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Very Low | $74 | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $40K | 2.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Very Low | $42K | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | $48K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Prairie 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
- Hail in MontanaThe state's hail reports, 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 Prairie CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Prairie County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis