PlainHazard

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.

Montana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index

Rosebud County, MT

2 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.

2
FEMA declarations
1
Major disasters
50
NRI risk · Relatively Low
Fire
Top hazard

FEMA's National Risk Index places Rosebud County in the top 50% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.

How does Rosebud County compare?

Rosebud County
2
Montana county avg
1.8
National county avg
3.7

How disaster-prone is Rosebud County?

Rosebud County, Montana has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2021, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at - declarations per year, or roughly 10% above the Montana county average of 1.8 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.

The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 2 of 2 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 49.7/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $8.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very High) and community resilience (Very Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.

Taken together, Rosebud 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

+10%

State avg: 1.8

vs. National Avg

-47%

National avg: 3.7

Avg Per Year

-

-

FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Rosebud County

Rosebud County NRI risk profile 8-axis FEMA National Risk Index radar showing per-hazard composite scores for Earthquake 8, Flood 0, Hurricane 0, Tornado 8, Wildfire 48, Drought 25, Heat Wave 8, Winter Storm 48. Overall composite 18 of 100, classified Low. Earthquake Flood Hurricane Tornado Wildfire Drought Heat Wave Winter Storm 18 composite
Rosebud County NRI risk profile FIPS 30087 · composite 18/100 (Low)
How to read this radar

The radar plots Rosebud 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.

FEMA Records

2

Total declarations

NRI Source

FEMA 2023

Latest NRI release

County FIPS

30087

MT state code

Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release

Disaster Types

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 - 1 50.0%

of all 2 declarations

Fire Management - 1 50.0%

of all 2 declarations

FEMA Declarations Timeline

Year Declarations
2021 2

Disaster Declarations

DR# Title Type Incident Date
4623 RICHARD SPRING FIRE DR Fire 2021-09-30
5406 RICHARD SPRING FIRE FM Fire 2021-08-10

Storm Events in Montana

Storm Type Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
High Wind 4,035 2 2 $7.7M
Thunderstorm Wind 2,705 5 24 $15.1M
Hail 2,205 0 0 $4.1M
Winter Storm 1,640 21 28 $11.2M
Heavy Snow 904 5 3 $143.0K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025

FEMA National Risk Index

Overall Risk

Relatively Low

Score: 49.7/100

Expected Annual Loss

Very Low

$8.7M/year

Social Vulnerability

Very High

Community Resilience

Very Low

Hazard Risk Breakdown

Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Avalanche 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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many natural disasters has Rosebud County, Montana had?
Rosebud County, Montana has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2021. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Rosebud County?
The most common disaster type in Rosebud County is Fire, with 2 declarations.
How does Rosebud County's disaster risk compare to the Montana average?
Rosebud County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 10% higher than the Montana county average of 1.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Rosebud County received?
Rosebud County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 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 (4,035 events), Thunderstorm Wind (2,705 events), Hail (2,205 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Rosebud County?
Rosebud County's 2 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 Rosebud County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Rosebud County, Montana has an overall risk score of 49.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $8.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Rosebud County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Rosebud County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (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 Rosebud County

Rosebud County, MT has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 10% above the Montana county average.

  • Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (1 of 2) - 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.

All federal data sources used on this page
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 report a data error.