Roosevelt County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30085 · population 10,754 · 2,355 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,151 records for Roosevelt County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 595 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (287 records). The deadliest single record is the June 16, 2010 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 1 injury and $338,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1997, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on August 12, 2023.
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
- 1,151on 595 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 47 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $25Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 16strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 2023
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 Roosevelt County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 287 since 1957. 76% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 287 | 129 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 1 | $9.6M | 6 of 56 |
| Hail | 248 | 128 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $342K | 8 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 148 | 95 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 4 | $620K | 36 of 56 |
| Drought | 111 | 64 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 56 |
| High wind and dust storms | 97 | 67 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 1 | $47K | 37 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 93 | 64 | 1997-2026 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 76 | 65 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 1 of 56 |
| Floods | 54 | 40 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.0M | 5 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 13 | 1953-2013 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 7 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 7 | 2006-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 56 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 6 | 1999-2008 | 0 | 0 | $8.9M | 17 of 56 |
| Heat | 5 | 3 | 2003-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 56 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 1 | – | 18 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 Roosevelt County had?
NOAA records 16 tornadoes in Roosevelt County from 1953 to 2013, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 7th of 56 Montana counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 17 tornadoes whose track touched Roosevelt County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 16: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Roosevelt County (16)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-07-15 | Volt, Roosevelt County | EF2 22.99 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2005-06-25 | Poplar, Roosevelt County | F0 1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-08-23 | Wolf Pt, Roosevelt County | F0 100 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-21 | Bainville, Roosevelt County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 1999-07-21 | Brockton, Roosevelt County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-07-04 | Wolf Pt, Roosevelt County | F1 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 1998-07-04 | Poplar, Roosevelt County | F1 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 1995-09-05 | Bainville, Roosevelt County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-07-07 | Roosevelt County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-25 | Roosevelt County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-25 | Roosevelt County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-13 | Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1969-09-21 | Roosevelt County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-08-01 | Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1959-06-26 | Roosevelt County | F1 5.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-07-30 | Roosevelt County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Roosevelt County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 15, 2024 ice storm (1 injury).
Roosevelt County Dispatch reported an injury from a semi-truck overturning 1 ENE Bainville at about 900 am. Rainfall accumulation of 0.41 in Froid was reported with ice accumulations at least 0.10 across eastern Roosevelt County. Severe driving conditions were reported by Montana DOT 511 website, along route 16 from Culbertson to Plentywood and potions of highway 2 from approximately 4:30am until 11:30 am.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1220446)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Flash FloodCulbertson, Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-27 | Flash FloodWolf Pt, Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | HailCulbertson, Roosevelt County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindWolf Pt, Roosevelt County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRoosevelt County · forecast zone Eastern Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-26 | Thunderstorm WindWolf Pt International Airport(Kolf), Roosevelt County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Dust StormRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindRoosevelt County · forecast zone Eastern Roosevelt | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | High WindRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-12 | DroughtRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-12 | DroughtRoosevelt County · forecast zone Eastern Roosevelt | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindFroid, Roosevelt County Severe thunderstorms across the region had widespread reports of winds in the 60 to 75 mph range, but a microburst 3 miles west of the town of Froid produced winds estimated based off of the damage survey at 110 to 125 mph. The winds hit just after 9 pm MDT. A modular home that was strapped to the ground had the ... | 96 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $338K |
| 2008-10-11 | Heavy SnowRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt Bredette has a storm total snowfall of 6.5 inches of snow. Most snowfall reports were in the 4 to 6 inch range. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-02-06 | Cold/Wind ChillRoosevelt County · forecast zone Eastern Roosevelt A 55 yer old women died of hypothermia after leaving a bar in Frazer, Montana when it closed. The temperature was around 2 below zero at the time. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-08 | Cold/Wind ChillRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt Very strong winds and extremely cold temperatures dropped wind chills to colder than 80 below zero at times. The strong winds also caused blowing and drifting snow which made travel trecherous. One man died when his vehicle became stuck in a snow drift. After staying with his car until it ran out of gas, he decided to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-14 | Ice StormRoosevelt County · forecast zone Eastern Roosevelt Observer reported nearly a quarter inch of ice accumulation. Numerous traffic accidents occurred. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2024-12-15 | Ice StormRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt Roosevelt County Dispatch reported an injury from a semi-truck overturning 1 ENE Bainville at about 900 am. Rainfall accumulation of 0.41 in Froid was reported with ice accumulations at least 0.10 across eastern Roosevelt County. Severe driving conditions were reported by Montana DOT 511 website, along route 16 from ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-06-13 | LightningPoplar, Roosevelt County A 70 year old man raking the yard suffered minor injuries from a nearby lightning strike. He received treatment at the hospital before being released several hours later. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-03-24 | High WindRoosevelt County · forecast zone Western Roosevelt This report was taken from the Wolf Point ASOS. A woman in Wolf Point suffered minor injuries when a screen door knocked her off a porch. | 51 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-10-31 | WildfireWolf Pt, Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | $8.9M | |
| 2005-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindCulbertson, Roosevelt County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.5M |
| 1998-07-04 | Flash FloodCulbertson, Roosevelt County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2005-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindBrockton, Roosevelt County | 98 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2016-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindPoplar, Roosevelt County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2013-07-15 | TornadoVolt, Roosevelt County | EF2 22.99 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2000-11-01 | Winter StormRoosevelt County · forecast zone Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | $620K | |
| 2005-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindFroid, Roosevelt County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $529K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 13, 1980 (tornado, Roosevelt 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 Roosevelt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 98 | 82 | 79 |
| Hail | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 57 | 74 | 81 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 60 | 56 | 21 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 14 | 20 | 77 z |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 35 | 28 | 29 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 23 | 37 | 32 |
Drought in the 2020-26: 77 records against 20 in the decade before, 77 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 Roosevelt 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?
76% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 115 · Feb 78 · Mar 84 · Apr 37 · May 40 · Jun 190 · Jul 302 · Aug 100 · Sep 39 · Oct 34 · Nov 53 · Dec 79 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Roosevelt County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Roosevelt County: 6 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-12 | DR-4726 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021-08-13 | DR-4608 | Other | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4508 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3476 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-06-17 | DR-1996 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3253 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-12-06 | DR-1350 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 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.
How many floods has Roosevelt County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 54 flood or flash flood records for Roosevelt County from 1997 to 2026, on 40 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Roosevelt County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $65,000 on 9 claims filed in Roosevelt County; the most in one year was 5 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1998: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 5 · 2013: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Roosevelt County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Roosevelt County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.1 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 High | $6.3M | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $238K | 19 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $826K | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $121K | once in about 527 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $195K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $191K | 2.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $41K | 37 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $30K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Roosevelt 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MontanaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Roosevelt CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Roosevelt County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis