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Montana · Risk Readiness

What's actually likely where you live.

Before the emergency — maps, tools, and the honest picture of what Montana throws at different parts of the state.

See MT hazards

MT hazard profile

Primary hazards. Ranked.

Montana burns heavily every summer. The 2017 fire season burned 1.3 million acres statewide — one of the worst on record. The 2021 Richard Spring Fire burned 150,000 acres in eastern Montana in days. The Bitterroot Valley, Flathead Valley, and the Rocky Mountain Front face serious annual fire exposure. Western Montana's conifer forests and eastern Montana's dry grasslands carry completely different but equally dangerous fire behavior. The June 2022 Yellowstone River flood was the worst in recorded history — caused by record snowpack and a warm rainfall event. It destroyed roads, bridges, and structures throughout the Yellowstone watershed, cut off Gardner and the northern Yellowstone gateway for weeks, and caused $200M+ in damage. The Flathead, Clark Fork, and Missouri rivers all flood regularly in spring snowmelt. The 1964 flood on the Sun River killed 30 people. Montana's Hi-Line and eastern plains face some of the most brutal cold in the continental US. Cut Bank, Havre, and Malta regularly see -40°F with wind chills below -60°F. Arctic outbreaks push temperatures across the entire state to dangerous levels multiple times each winter. The Rocky Mountain Front's Chinook winds can produce 50°F temperature swings in hours — from -20°F to 30°F — creating dangerous ice conditions.

Official tools

Look up your address. Know your risk.

Insurance gaps

What your homeowner's policy doesn't cover.

Standard homeowner's policies in Montana exclude flood damage. Flood insurance through the NFIP has a 30-day waiting period — it cannot be purchased when a storm is forecast. Check your declarations page annually to confirm your coverage limits and deductibles.

Not in your standard policy

Flood damage — requires NFIP or private flood policy

Earthquake damage — requires separate endorsement

Sewer & drain backup — requires endorsement ($50–$100/yr)

Landslide / mudflow — generally excluded

Next steps

Where do you want to go next?

During an emergency

Find alerts, contacts, and shelters.

NC emergency contacts, alert signups, and real-time information.

Local Emergency

Get prepared

Run through the MT checklist.

Step-by-step actions based on the hazards that apply to Montana.

MT Checklists