Earthquake Risk in Montana
All Montana counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index earthquake score
Earthquake risk — ground shaking from sudden movement along geologic faults — is rated for 56 of 56 Montana counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Flathead County carries the state's highest earthquake score at 95.8, with $21M in expected annual earthquake losses.
No Montana county reaches the High band for earthquake, and expected annual losses from earthquake total roughly $77M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Earthquake
| # | County | Earthquake Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flathead County | Medium | 0.03 / yr | $21M | |
| 2 | Gallatin County | Medium | 0.06 / yr | $17M | |
| 3 | Lake County | Medium | 0.03 / yr | $7M | |
| 4 | Missoula County | Medium | 0.01 / yr | $10M | |
| 5 | Silver Bow County | Low | 0.01 / yr | $4M | |
| 6 | Lewis and Clark County | Low | 0.01 / yr | $4M | |
| 7 | Beaverhead County | Low | 0.04 / yr | $2M | |
| 8 | Madison County | Low | 0.03 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Park County | Low | 0.02 / yr | $1M | |
| 10 | Broadwater County | Low | 0.02 / yr | $1M | |
| 11 | Yellowstone County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 12 | Cascade County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $983K | |
| 13 | Ravalli County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $711K | |
| 14 | Sanders County | Low | 0.02 / yr | $422K | |
| 15 | Jefferson County | Low | 0.02 / yr | $672K | |
| 16 | Lincoln County | Low | 0.01 / yr | $363K | |
| 17 | Glacier County | Low | 0.00 / yr | $275K | |
| 18 | Powell County | Very Low | 0.01 / yr | $376K | |
| 19 | Teton County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $383K | |
| 20 | Carbon County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $254K | |
| 21 | Pondera County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $188K | |
| 22 | Deer Lodge County | Very Low | 0.01 / yr | $245K | |
| 23 | Big Horn County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $86K | |
| 24 | Granite County | Very Low | 0.01 / yr | $120K | |
| 25 | Sweet Grass County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $157K | |
| 26 | Stillwater County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $144K | |
| 27 | Custer County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $68K | |
| 28 | Meagher County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $73K | |
| 29 | Toole County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $60K | |
| 30 | Rosebud County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $40K | |
| 31 | Mineral County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $56K | |
| 32 | Chouteau County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $45K | |
| 33 | Fergus County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $46K | |
| 34 | Wheatland County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $34K | |
| 35 | Valley County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $36K | |
| 36 | Musselshell County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $23K | |
| 37 | Hill County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $24K | |
| 38 | Judith Basin County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $27K | |
| 39 | Powder River County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $28K | |
| 40 | Roosevelt County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 41 | Liberty County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $14K | |
| 42 | Phillips County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 43 | Dawson County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $15K | |
| 44 | Blaine County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $8K | |
| 45 | Carter County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $16K | |
| 46 | Golden Valley County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 47 | McCone County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 48 | Richland County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $11K | |
| 49 | Fallon County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $10K | |
| 50 | Sheridan County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $5K | |
| 51 | Garfield County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $7K | |
| 52 | Prairie County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 53 | Daniels County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 54 | Treasure County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $4K | |
| 55 | Wibaux County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 56 | Petroleum County | Very Low | 0.00 / yr | $2K |
56 Montana counties with measurable earthquake risk. See the national earthquake ranking or all Montana counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Montana county has the highest earthquake risk?
Flathead County has the highest FEMA earthquake risk score in Montana at 95.8 (Medium), with $21M in expected annual losses and about 0.03 events per year.
How many Montana counties face significant earthquake risk?
56 Montana counties record measurable earthquake risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.