Strong Wind Risk in Montana
All Montana counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index strong wind score
Strong Wind risk — damaging straight-line winds outside of tornadoes and hurricanes — is rated for 56 of 56 Montana counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Big Horn County carries the state's highest strong wind score at 95.9, with $2M in expected annual strong wind losses.
1 Montana county is rated High or Very High for strong wind, and expected annual losses from strong wind total roughly $10M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Strong Wind
| # | County | Strong Wind Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Horn County | High | 0.83 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Roosevelt County | Medium | 1.49 / yr | $826K | |
| 3 | Cascade County | Medium | 0.70 / yr | $829K | |
| 4 | Custer County | Medium | 0.97 / yr | $575K | |
| 5 | Yellowstone County | Medium | 0.85 / yr | $865K | |
| 6 | Dawson County | Low | 1.57 / yr | $518K | |
| 7 | Gallatin County | Low | 0.44 / yr | $605K | |
| 8 | Richland County | Low | 1.63 / yr | $332K | |
| 9 | McCone County | Low | 1.75 / yr | $229K | |
| 10 | Lewis and Clark County | Low | 0.51 / yr | $226K | |
| 11 | Missoula County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $292K | |
| 12 | Sheridan County | Low | 1.01 / yr | $134K | |
| 13 | Rosebud County | Low | 0.88 / yr | $83K | |
| 14 | Valley County | Low | 1.33 / yr | $148K | |
| 15 | Garfield County | Very Low | 1.20 / yr | $158K | |
| 16 | Pondera County | Very Low | 0.52 / yr | $81K | |
| 17 | Flathead County | Very Low | 0.18 / yr | $146K | |
| 18 | Glacier County | Very Low | 0.21 / yr | $68K | |
| 19 | Ravalli County | Very Low | 0.20 / yr | $96K | |
| 20 | Toole County | Very Low | 0.48 / yr | $81K | |
| 21 | Hill County | Very Low | 0.55 / yr | $78K | |
| 22 | Lake County | Very Low | 0.24 / yr | $75K | |
| 23 | Carbon County | Very Low | 0.69 / yr | $65K | |
| 24 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 0.13 / yr | $47K | |
| 25 | Silver Bow County | Very Low | 0.31 / yr | $88K | |
| 26 | Chouteau County | Very Low | 0.80 / yr | $58K | |
| 27 | Musselshell County | Very Low | 0.92 / yr | $52K | |
| 28 | Park County | Very Low | 0.43 / yr | $73K | |
| 29 | Blaine County | Very Low | 0.58 / yr | $40K | |
| 30 | Teton County | Very Low | 0.61 / yr | $76K | |
| 31 | Prairie County | Very Low | 1.38 / yr | $48K | |
| 32 | Phillips County | Very Low | 0.90 / yr | $44K | |
| 33 | Fergus County | Very Low | 0.61 / yr | $59K | |
| 34 | Fallon County | Very Low | 1.33 / yr | $83K | |
| 35 | Sanders County | Very Low | 0.22 / yr | $32K | |
| 36 | Jefferson County | Very Low | 0.39 / yr | $56K | |
| 37 | Beaverhead County | Very Low | 0.26 / yr | $33K | |
| 38 | Wibaux County | Very Low | 1.43 / yr | $52K | |
| 39 | Stillwater County | Very Low | 0.70 / yr | $56K | |
| 40 | Deer Lodge County | Very Low | 0.30 / yr | $33K | |
| 41 | Powell County | Very Low | 0.37 / yr | $31K | |
| 42 | Madison County | Very Low | 0.34 / yr | $42K | |
| 43 | Daniels County | Very Low | 1.13 / yr | $47K | |
| 44 | Carter County | Very Low | 1.37 / yr | $40K | |
| 45 | Broadwater County | Very Low | 0.51 / yr | $24K | |
| 46 | Liberty County | Very Low | 0.62 / yr | $17K | |
| 47 | Meagher County | Very Low | 0.60 / yr | $18K | |
| 48 | Sweet Grass County | Very Low | 0.60 / yr | $25K | |
| 49 | Granite County | Very Low | 0.29 / yr | $15K | |
| 50 | Judith Basin County | Very Low | 0.61 / yr | $18K | |
| 51 | Mineral County | Very Low | 0.25 / yr | $12K | |
| 52 | Wheatland County | Very Low | 0.67 / yr | $12K | |
| 53 | Treasure County | Very Low | 0.87 / yr | $18K | |
| 54 | Powder River County | Very Low | 0.90 / yr | $14K | |
| 55 | Golden Valley County | Very Low | 0.81 / yr | $7K | |
| 56 | Petroleum County | Very Low | 0.70 / yr | $6K |
56 Montana counties with measurable strong wind risk. See the national strong wind ranking or all Montana counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Montana county has the highest strong wind risk?
Big Horn County has the highest FEMA strong wind risk score in Montana at 95.9 (High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 0.83 events per year.
How many Montana counties face significant strong wind risk?
56 Montana counties record measurable strong wind risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 1 of them are rated High or Very High.