Sweet Grass County, MT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Sweet Grass County has experienced 10 federally declared disasters since 1997, 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.
Sweet Grass County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, avalanche, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 74% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (2nd 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. Sweet Grass County has been designated in 10 declarations since 1997, covering 6 disaster types including fire (3), biological (2), severe storm (2).
| 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 |
| 2006 | Fire | Derby Fire |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Fire | Mt-Hobble Fire-08/07/2003 |
| 2000 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1997 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding |
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 | 88.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 19.7 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34.9 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.4 | 26 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 3.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 32.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 29.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 18.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 18.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 60.7 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
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
Sweet Grass County ranks in the 2nd 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 | 2nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 7th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 11th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 25th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 3rd | 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 | 81st | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 85th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 76.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 29 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 23 in 2016–20 vs 6 in 2021–25 (-74% — 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 Sweet Grass County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Sweet Grass County, Montana are wildfire, avalanche, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Sweet Grass County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Sweet Grass County has received 10 federal disaster declarations since 1997, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (3 declarations).
Has Sweet Grass County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Sweet Grass County include Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1997.
How does Sweet Grass County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Gallatin County, MT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Golden Valley County, MT has the lowest (Very Low). Sweet Grass County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Sweet Grass County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Sweet Grass 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. Sweet Grass County's composite score of 8 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 8% of US counties.