Montana drought risk
Chouteau County has the highest drought risk in Montana, scoring 49.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chouteau County | 49.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 2 | Hill County | 44.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Pondera County | 44.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 4 | Roosevelt County | 41.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 5 | Liberty County | 39.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Toole County | 39.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 7 | Beaverhead County | 39.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Big Horn County | 38.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Valley County | 37.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Carbon County | 37.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Gallatin County | 37.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Teton County | 37.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Sheridan County | 37.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Glacier County | 36.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Blaine County | 35.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Yellowstone County | 35.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Rosebud County | 33.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Cascade County | 33.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Dawson County | 33.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Richland County | 32.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Fergus County | 31.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Broadwater County | 30.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Madison County | 29.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Daniels County | 28.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | McCone County | 28.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Judith Basin County | 28.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Phillips County | 27.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Custer County | 26.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Treasure County | 26.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Stillwater County | 25.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Musselshell County | 24.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Wheatland County | 24.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Flathead County | 24.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Lake County | 24 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Park County | 23.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Prairie County | 23.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Lewis and Clark County | 22.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Golden Valley County | 22.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Powell County | 21.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Garfield County | 21.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Meagher County | 20.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Fallon County | 20.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Sanders County | 20 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Jefferson County | 19.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Ravalli County | 19.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Carter County | 19.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Wibaux County | 18.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Sweet Grass County | 18.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Petroleum County | 17.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Powder River County | 17.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Granite County | 17 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Missoula County | 16 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Deer Lodge County | 15.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | Lincoln County | 15.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | Silver Bow County | 14.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 56 | Mineral County | 13.3 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Montana:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in Montana?
Chouteau County, MT has the highest drought risk in Montana, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 49.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes drought risk in Montana?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.