Flathead County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Flathead County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.5 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, cold wave, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,304 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 | Very High | 98.5 | $8.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.1 | $14M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.0 | $725K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.3 | $417K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.8 | $21M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | $4.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $24M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.5 | $264K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.9 | $392K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.2 | $632K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.5 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.9 | $96K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 14.7 | $146K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.6 | $19K |
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 | 804 | 18 | $7.7M | 18th of 56 | 1618th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 158 | 3 | $5.9M | 49th of 56 | 1954th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 103 | 0 | $1.8M | 51st of 56 | 2801st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 80 | 0 | $3K | 23rd of 56 | 1827th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 65 | 1 | $4.3M | 49th of 56 | 2849th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 41 | 3 | $15M | 34th of 56 | 2873rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 17 | 5 | – | 10th of 56 | 198th of 2,278 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 0 | – | 32nd of 56 | 1932nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 17th of 56 | 2362nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $11K | 45th of 56 | 2928th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $3.9M | 41st of 56 | 1218th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $1K | 20th of 56 | 2376th 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 Flathead County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.