Cascade County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cascade County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.1 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,305 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.3 | $2.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.0 | $23M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $25M |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $457K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.9 | $604K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.9 | $829K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.2 | $714K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $8K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.8 | $983K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 53.4 | $336K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 45.8 | $335K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33.4 | $39K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 23.9 | $24K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.8 | $280K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 389 | 2 | $505K | 9th of 56 | 298th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 282 | 0 | $1.2M | 5th of 56 | 2544th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 253 | 0 | $8K | 15th of 56 | 2467th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 251 | 0 | $107K | 23rd of 56 | 1833rd of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 37 | 0 | – | 1st of 56 | 976th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 33 | 2 | $648K | 22nd of 56 | 2756th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 25 | 0 | – | 32nd of 56 | 2067th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $4.7M | 16th of 56 | 2702nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | – | 15th of 56 | 706th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $27K | 4th of 56 | 2080th 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 Cascade County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.