Dawson County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dawson County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 63.8 of 100, higher than 63% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 853 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.5 | $16M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 85.0 | $249K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | $541K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 62.5 | $594K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 51.1 | $518K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 46.6 | $208K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 33.3 | $32K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59.6 | $74K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 33.3 | $360 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 28.1 | $3.0M |
| Tornado | Very Low | 25.1 | $335K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 15.0 | $15K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 11.8 | $6K |
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 | 244 | 0 | $549K | 10th of 56 | 2431st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 241 | 0 | $12M | 3rd of 56 | 2517th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 96 | 0 | $42K | 28th of 56 | 1174th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 92 | 0 | $85K | 39th of 56 | 2415th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 48 | 0 | $1.5M | 8th of 56 | 1634th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 33 | 0 | – | 17th of 56 | 1570th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 32 | 0 | $232K | 10th of 56 | 2617th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 0 | $25M | 9th of 56 | 2625th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 0 | – | 11th of 56 | 1578th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 6th of 56 | 2178th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $18K | 7th of 56 | 2145th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 32nd of 56 | 1067th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Dawson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.