1 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 Prairie 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 from summer thunderstorms and general flooding dominate the flood profile of Prairie County, Montana, with the NOAA Storm Events Database recording 13 flash flood events and 11 flood events over the last 30 years.
Thunderstorms driven by warm, moist air and upper-level instability frequently impact the region, leading to heavy rainfall and localized inundation. For example, a slow-moving storm system combined with an unstable atmosphere produced heavy rain and flash flooding in August 2018. Additionally, southwesterly flow aloft and strong thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding in June 2023.
Property owners located near waterways, such as the Yellowstone River valley, and residents in low-lying areas prone to rapid stormwater runoff should pay the closest attention to local flood risks during severe weather seasons.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7 federal disaster declarations since 1997, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Ice Jams And Flooding | Mar 1, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Apr 4, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Jul 13, 2000 |
| Severe Storms,ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding | Mar 1, 1997 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
24 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 26, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2015 | — |
| Flood | May 29, 2011 | — |
| Flood | May 23, 2011 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 26, 2023. Southwesterly flow aloft enhanced moisture that produced strong thunderstorms in portions of northeast Montana. Heavy rain from these storms led to some flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 2019. Warm, moist air and converging surface winds allowed thunderstorms to easily form along a subtle boundary, then suddenly grow severe as they moved toward the east and southeast into an even more favorable environment.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2018. Enough instability existed due to an upper level trough and jet streak to produce multiple thunderstorms along the Yellowstone River valley of eastern Montana during the afternoon and evening. A few of these thunderstorms became severe near Terry and Glendive, with the strongest wind gusts exceeding 60 mph.
Flash Flood · Aug 23, 2018. A slow-moving storm system through southern Montana combined with a moderately unstable atmosphere to produce multiple thunderstorms across eastern Montana during the morning hours of August 23rd. One of these stronger storms became severe and a period of heavy rain lead to flash flooding in Prairie County.
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 Prairie 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.