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 Golden Valley 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Golden Valley County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Flooding | May 1, 2018 |
| Ice Jams And Flooding | Mar 1, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Jul 13, 2000 |
| Drought | Aug 22, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
14 since 1996: 8 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Mar 23, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Mar 7, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Mar 6, 2014 | — |
| Flood | May 23, 2011 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Jun 7, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 8, 2023. A very moist, easterly surface flow continued into the start of the second week of June. This resulted in dewpoints well above 50 degrees, as well as atmospheric precipitable waters over 1.00. Winds aloft continued to be light resulting in slow-moving, heavy thunderstorms. As a result, multiple flash flood events occurred across portions of central and south central Montana.
Flood · Mar 23, 2019. Flooding occurred across many areas of south central and southeast Montana during the latter portions of the month. A considerable snow cover existed through the month. Surface and sub-surface ground temperatures remained frozen through the last week of March. Warming temperatures resulted in this snow to quickly melt. Widespread flooding occurred due to the snow melt not being able to soak into the ground. In ad…
Flood · Mar 7, 2014. After a very cold winter resulting in area rivers, streams and creeks freezing, early March began with some heavy snow followed by a rapid warm-up. This warm-up resulted in snowmelt and ice-jam flooding over area rivers, creeks and streams that continued into the middle of the month. While many areas experienced flooding, the locations that were most impacted by flooding included Park County, areas along the Musse…
Flood · Mar 6, 2014. After a very cold winter resulting in area rivers, streams and creeks freezing, early March began with some heavy snow followed by a rapid warm-up. This warm-up resulted in snowmelt and ice-jam flooding over area rivers, creeks and streams that continued into the middle of the month. While many areas experienced flooding, the locations that were most impacted by flooding included Park County, areas along the Musse…
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 Golden Valley 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.