Yellowstone County, Montana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Yellowstone County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.6 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, cold wave, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,197 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 | 99.1 | $2.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.1 | $19M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 88.2 | $1.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $2.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.5 | $29M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.2 | $865K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 74.7 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 72.3 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.4 | $8K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 35.6 | $51K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.2 | $47K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.9 | $560K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 2.0 | $0 |
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 | 507 | 0 | $30M | 2nd of 56 | 2158th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 360 | 2 | $4.3M | 2nd of 56 | 2485th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 122 | 3 | $24K | 41st of 56 | 2460th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 112 | 0 | – | 30th of 56 | 1186th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 41 | 1 | $5.6M | 11th of 56 | 2622nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 0 | $67M | 4th of 56 | 2568th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 33rd of 56 | 1946th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $18K | 3rd of 56 | 2069th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | – | 26th of 56 | 1003rd of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 43rd of 56 | 2753rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 21st of 56 | 2475th of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Yellowstone County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.