6 flood insurance claims·$78,058 paid·2 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 Meagher 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 50 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 1997, with 2 claims and $47,426 paid, the year of Severe Storms,ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Meagher County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
10 federal disaster declarations since 1975, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Mt - Central Zone 3b Fire Complex | Jul 24, 2000 |
| Wildfires | Jul 13, 2000 |
| Severe Storms,ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding | Mar 1, 1997 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Ice Jams | Feb 4, 1996 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | May 27, 1981 |
| Rains, Showmelt, Storms & Flooding | Jun 28, 1975 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
6 since 1996: 2 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2023 | — |
| Flood | May 27, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2015 | — |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2015 | — |
| Flood | May 22, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Jun 3, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 10, 2023. Several rounds of rain and thunderstorms affected much of Montana during the first half of June. Flash flooding occurred across portions of the region, especially across Fergus County as well as the Rocky Mountains. Fergus County was hit exceptionally hard as several days of occasional heavy rain exasperated area creeks and streams. Casino Creek, located south of Lewistown, was washed out in at least two locations…
Flood · May 27, 2019. A slow-moving low pressure system was accompanied by unusually-high amounts of moisture, periods of steady of heavy rain, and some thunderstorms over north-central Montana during May 25th through the early morning of the 28th. In addition, relatively-high snow levels allowed rain to fall on lingering snowpack along the Rocky Mountain Front, where easterly upslope flow enhanced rainfall totals. Portions of the Rock…
Flash Flood · Jun 5, 2015. Another upper level disturbance moved across the area with low level moisture allowing for enhanced storm development and decent rainfall rates.
Flood · Jun 1, 2015. A shortwave trough bring upper level support to enhance surface heating allowing for organized storms to produce hail and heavy rains over Central Montana.
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 Meagher 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.