39 flood insurance claims·$134,717 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 Phillips 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.
Riverine flooding from snowmelt and heavy precipitation dominates the flood history of Phillips County, supported by 42 standard flood events compared to 13 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years. NOAA storm data documents significant impacts from this pattern, such as in April 2023, when rapidly melting snow from an above-normal snowpack caused flooding along numerous streams and river forecast points throughout the Milk River Watershed. Springtime snowmelt flooding from the previous month also continued into May 2018, keeping locations along the Milk River above flood stage during the first week of the month.
NFIP claims data reflects historical payouts across different designated zones. Properties categorized under Zone A recorded 7 claims with an average payout of $21,576 and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Zone X Unshaded properties recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $15,457 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Additionally, Zone D recorded 1 claim with a payout of $6,301 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches, while properties with an unknown zone recorded 28 claims averaging $2,588 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Residents and property owners located near streams and river forecast points, particularly within designated Special Flood Hazard Areas like Zone A, should pay the closest attention to flood risks.
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 3 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 1978, with 19 claims and $41,670 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 Phillips County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Montana flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1986, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Jun 1, 2023 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Jul 13, 2000 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Ice Jams, Soil Saturation | Mar 1, 1996 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 25, 1986 |
| Heavy Rains, Landslides & Flooding | Feb 24, 1986 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
55 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 42 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 12, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 20, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Apr 17, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2018 | — |
| Flood | May 1, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Feb 20, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 12, 2023. Rapidly melting snow from an above normal snowpack caused flooding along numerous streams and at many river forecast points in the Milk River Watershed.
Flood · Jun 22, 2019. A stagnant weather pattern over the region, allowed multiple, prolonged thunderstorms to move over the same area. Areas of Petroleum County usually prone to flooding, experienced areal and stream flooding for most of the day.
Flood · Apr 20, 2018. Seasonal spring-time temperatures consistently above freezing allowed the Milk River and its smaller tributaries to begin flowing. This raised the level of the Milk River along most of its official forecast points through the latter half of April.
Flood · Apr 18, 2018. Seasonal spring-time temperatures consistently above freezing allowed the Milk River and its smaller tributaries to begin flowing. This raised the level of the Milk River along most of its official forecast points through the latter half of April.
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 Phillips 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.