Garfield County, MT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Garfield County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1987, most recently Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Garfield County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, cold wave, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 25% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (7th 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. Garfield County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1987, covering 7 disaster types including fire (4), flood (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2024 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2021 | Other | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Fire | Huff Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Fire | Lodgepole Fire Complex |
| 2013 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 total declarations since 1987.
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 Low | 78.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 5.4 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 6.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 22.9 | 49 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 16 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 19.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 2.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 44.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 35.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 38.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 1.3 | — | — | — |
| 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
Garfield County ranks in the 7th 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 | 7th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 19th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 5th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 0th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 16th | Very 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 | 87th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 87th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 86.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 56 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 32 in 2016–20 vs 24 in 2021–25 (-25% — frequency decreasing).
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 Garfield County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Garfield County, Montana are wildfire, cold wave, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Garfield County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Garfield County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1987, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (4 declarations).
Has Garfield County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Garfield County include Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2026), Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1987.
How does Garfield County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Rosebud County, MT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Treasure County, MT has the lowest (Very Low). Garfield County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Garfield County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Garfield 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. Garfield County's composite score of 3 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 3% of US counties.