Big Horn County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Big Horn County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.2 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 787 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.9 | $1.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.5 | $212K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.2 | $493K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 94.8 | $2.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | $1.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.8 | $5K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.1 | $4.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 51.8 | $164K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.5 | $34K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 39.6 | $86K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 36.3 | $101 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 34.9 | $103K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 12.5 | $4K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.1 | $54K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 9.4 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 248 | 0 | $211K | 32nd of 56 | 2663rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 219 | 2 | $2.0M | 45th of 56 | 2553rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 155 | 4 | $38K | 38th of 56 | 2766th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 101 | 0 | – | 51st of 56 | 1991st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 25 | 1 | $5.2M | 43rd of 56 | 2955th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 11 | 0 | – | 24th of 56 | 890th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $1.3M | 29th of 56 | 2837th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 51st of 56 | 2327th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 26th of 56 | 2485th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 50th of 56 | 2858th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | – | 23rd of 56 | 2500th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | – | 25th of 56 | 2416th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Big Horn County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.