5 flood insurance claims·$105,461 paid·3 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 Garfield 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.
Flash flooding and general river flooding from summer weather patterns dominate the flood risk profile in Garfield County, Montana, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 20 flash flood events and 16 flood events over the last 30 years.
Weather patterns involving stagnant air masses, unusually moist air, and slow-moving storm systems frequently produce prolonged, heavy rainfall. For example, a stagnant weather pattern combined with moist air generated widespread flooding and flash flooding in June 2023, while a slow-moving storm system caused similar conditions in July 2019.
Historical National Flood Insurance Program records show that properties in Zone A have experienced formal claims. These claims averaged $35,154 per payout, with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A and areas susceptible to heavy summer rainfall and localized storm runoff.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2026, with 3 claims and $105,461 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
1 NOAA storm reports from Garfield County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1986, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Straight-line Winds | Jun 10, 2021 |
| Huff Fire | Sep 2, 2020 |
| Lodgepole Fire Complex | Jul 20, 2017 |
| Flooding | May 19, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Mt - Missouri Breaks Complex Fire 07/16/03 | Jul 17, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
36 since 1996: 20 flash floods and 16 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 9, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 3, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 2, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 2, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Aug 24, 2014 | — |
| Flood | May 23, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 9, 2023. Heavy rainfall caused the Musselshell River to rise above flood stage for a few hours.
Flood · Jun 3, 2023. A stagnant pattern combined with unusually moist air, led to widespread heavy rain that|generated a round of flooding and flash flooding.
Flood · Jun 2, 2023. Excessive rainfall during early June forced a few rivers in the region to go above flood stage.
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.
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 Garfield 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.