Wheatland County, Montana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 30107 · population 2,067 · 1,422 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 720 records for Wheatland County, Montana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 481 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (344 records). 559 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. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1975, 8 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
- 720on 481 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $64Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 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 Wheatland County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 344 since 1996. 43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 344 | 253 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 4 of 56 |
| Winter storms | 204 | 128 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 56 |
| Hail | 107 | 63 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 20 of 56 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 31 | 26 | 1981-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 56 |
| Floods | 14 | 14 | 1997-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 56 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 7 | 1978-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 56 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1997-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 56 |
| Drought | 3 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 56 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 56 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 56 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 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 Wheatland County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Wheatland County from 1978 to 2019, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Wheatland County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Montana.
Every tornado record filed for Wheatland County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-27 | Judith Gap, Wheatland County | EF0 0.39 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-09-09 | Harlowton Baxter Arp, Wheatland County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-08-14 | Harlowton, Wheatland County | F0 5 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-05 | Judith Gap, Wheatland County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-15 | Wheatland County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1978-08-22 | Wheatland County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-06-24 | Wheatland County | 0 | 0 | – |
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.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Wheatland 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 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 71 | 115 | 132 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 63 | 58 | 68 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 52 | 16 | 16 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 103 · Feb 97 · Mar 71 · Apr 51 · May 33 · Jun 72 · Jul 61 · Aug 22 · Sep 6 · Oct 42 · Nov 62 · Dec 100 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wheatland County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Wheatland County: 8 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (3) and biological (2).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
How many floods has Wheatland County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 14 flood or flash flood records for Wheatland County from 1997 to 2018, on 14 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wheatland County ranks 2105th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $38,000 on 19 claims filed in Wheatland County; the most in one year was 11 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 11 · 1997: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2024: 1; 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 Wheatland County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wheatland County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $155K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $485K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $23K | 20 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $41K | once in about 2,523 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 73 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $34K | once in about 893 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $69K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $106 | 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 Wheatland 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
- 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 Wheatland CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wheatland County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis