Deer Lodge County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Deer Lodge County's overall risk Very Low (score 17.6 of 100, higher than 17% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche. Its storm record holds 429 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 93.9 | $2.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | $162K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80.8 | $15K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.6 | $204K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $1.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $151K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 50.0 | $245K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.3 | $602 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 14.2 | $8K |
| Hail | Very Low | 10.6 | $30K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 10.5 | $1.2M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 7.4 | $10K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 5.6 | $33K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 5.5 | $21K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 283 | 8 | $291K | 3rd of 56 | 326th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 53 | 0 | $1.4M | 14th of 56 | 593rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | – | 2nd of 56 | 659th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 21 | 0 | – | 37th of 56 | 2696th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 18 | 0 | $965K | 2nd of 56 | 2336th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 11 | 0 | $23K | 44th of 56 | 2798th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $19K | 7th of 56 | 1466th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 1 | $7K | 5th of 56 | 141st of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $1K | 1st of 56 | 1398th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | – | 35th of 56 | 2878th 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 Deer Lodge County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.