Flathead County, MT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Flathead County has experienced 15 federally declared disasters since 1974, most recently Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Flathead County's highest-rated hazards are avalanche, landslide, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (21st percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Flathead County has been designated in 15 declarations since 1974, covering 6 disaster types including fire (5), flood (3), severe storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Flood | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Fire | Mt-Wedge Canyon Fire-07/18/2003 |
| 2003 | Fire | Mt-Robert Fire-07-23-03 |
| 2003 | Fire | Mt-Flathead Fire Zone-8/20/03 |
| 2000 | Fire | Wildfires |
Showing the 10 most recent of 15 total declarations since 1974.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | 4 | 0 | $535K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.8 | 11 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.9 | 13 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 14.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very High | 98.5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Flathead County ranks in the 21st percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 21st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 31st | Low |
| Household characteristics | 8th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 24th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 39th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 90th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 92nd | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 66.5% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Flathead County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Flathead County, Montana are avalanche, landslide, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Flathead County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Flathead County has received 15 federal disaster declarations since 1974, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (5 declarations).
Has Flathead County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Flathead County include Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1974.
How does Flathead County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Lake County, MT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Teton County, MT has the lowest (Very Low). Flathead County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Flathead County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Flathead County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Flathead County's composite score of 87 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 87% of US counties.