Wheatland County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wheatland County's overall risk Very Low (score 3.5 of 100, higher than 3% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 720 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 44.2 | $155K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $485K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 29.2 | $23K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 51.0 | $41K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.7 | $9K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.3 | $34K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.3 | $69K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 21.1 | $106 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 15.8 | $16 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 12.2 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.9 | $8K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 5.8 | $20K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 3.3 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 2.9 | $12K |
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 | 344 | 0 | $54K | 4th of 56 | 158th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 204 | 0 | – | 20th of 56 | 1647th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 107 | 0 | $10K | 20th of 56 | 2526th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 31 | 0 | – | 40th of 56 | 2768th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 14 | 0 | – | 18th of 56 | 2734th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | – | 10th of 56 | 2631st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | 15th of 56 | 2458th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 41st of 56 | 2116th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | – | 17th of 56 | 303rd of 2,278 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 48th of 56 | 2820th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Wheatland County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.