4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Daniels County, Montana. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flooding driven by general flood events and flash floods shapes the hydrology of Daniels County, Montana. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 11 flood events and 8 flash flood events.
Specific past events illustrate these risks. A stagnant weather pattern combined with unusually moist air to generate widespread heavy rain, leading to flooding and flash flooding in June 2023. Earlier, unseasonably warm temperatures in March 2017 melted remaining seasonal snowpack over saturated soils. The resulting runoff overwhelmed small streams, creeks, and partially ice-jammed culverts, flooding multiple roadways and prompting county officials to declare a state of emergency.
Properties situated near small streams, creeks, and roadways affected by seasonal snowmelt or ice jams should pay the closest attention to local flood risks in Daniels County.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4 NOAA storm reports from Daniels County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 1986, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Flooding | Apr 10, 2023 |
| Flooding | Mar 20, 2019 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Heavy Rains, Landslides & Flooding | Feb 24, 1986 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 8 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 2, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Mar 16, 2017 | — |
| Flood | May 18, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Jun 7, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2008 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 2, 2023. A stagnant pattern combined with unusually moist air, led to widespread heavy rain that|generated a round of flooding and flash flooding.
Flood · Mar 16, 2017. A warmer than normal period for early March allowed much of the remaining seasonal snowpack to melt. With already saturated soils across the area, the melt water easily caused flooding conditions as the run-off was quickly directed through small streams and creeks toward the larger main-stem rivers. Some effected culverts remained partially ice-jammed and were unable to handle the volume of water, resulting in fl…
Flood · May 18, 2011. Areas of heavy rain produced flooding on small streams in most of northeast Montana. The rainfall across the area during the month of May totaled 300 to 600 percent of normal.
Flood · Jun 17, 2011. Two to three inches of rain fell across the already saturated soils to raise creek and stream levels. Much of this rain fell in southern Saskatchewan, therefore the tributaries from there had the worse flooding.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Daniels County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.