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Risk: Relatively Moderate

Cascade County, MT Environment & Hazard Risk

Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by winter weather. 663 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$55.3M
Relatively Moderate nationally
Storm events since 1996
663
Most often thunderstorm wind
Flood insurance policies
246
0.7% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
0
Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Relatively Moderate

Score 83.1 of 100

Social vulnerability

Relatively Low

Score 27.1 of 100

Community resilience

Relatively High

Score 76.3 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $20.7B · Agriculture value exposed: $138M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $52.3M

Risk by hazard

  • Winter weatherVery High$2.4M/yr expected annual loss, about 46 events a year
  • Cold waveRelatively High$22.8M/yr expected annual loss, about 8.1 events a year
  • WildfireRelatively Low$714K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,443 years
  • AvalancheRelatively Moderate$457K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 30 years
  • LightningRelatively Moderate$604K/yr expected annual loss, about 25 events a year
  • LandslideRelatively Low$7,805/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
  • EarthquakeRelatively Low$983K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 281 years
  • Strong windRelatively Moderate$829K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
  • HailRelatively Low$336K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a year
  • Heat waveRelatively Low$335K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
  • DroughtRelatively Low$39.3K/yr expected annual loss, about 58 events a year
  • Ice stormVery Low$24.4K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
  • TornadoVery Low$280K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance
246 of 35,884 (0.7%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
1,469
Insured in high-risk zones
179 (12%)
Flood claims since 1978
257
Claims paid since 1978
$855K

Flood claims paid per year

Flood claims paid per year in Cascade County
Beta

Storm history

Since 1996: 663 events, 2 deaths, $670K in damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind224
  • Hail197
  • High Wind87
  • Heavy Snow42
  • Heavy Rain37
  • Extreme Cold/Wind Chill16
  • Flood15 · 2 deaths
  • Flash Flood15
  • Funnel Cloud8
  • Winter Weather7
Beta

Events per year

Storm events per year in Cascade County
22
10
4
6
17
9
32
39
3
12
15
14
36
15
13
80
52
45
64
41
Beta

12 tornadoes on record (F0 2, F1 2, F2 1).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Flood05/17/2023

    Armington, Cascade County

    2 deaths, $60K damage

    What happened

    BTCM8, Belt Creek near Monarch, crested at 6.79 feet on May 17th. Water levels resulted in strong currents that claimed the lives of two men visiting from Canada. The two men went into the fast moving water to retrieve their dog. The dog made it to shore, but the two men were pulled downstream and ultimately drowned. Water levels also flooded a portion of Sluice Boxes State Park's entrance parking lot as well as fields and yards from Sluice Boxes northward to Armington. A house in Neihart was flooded near the area were O'Brien Creek enters Belt Creek.

  • Lightning06/30/2004

    Great Falls, Cascade County

    1 injured, $10K damage

    What happened

    A strong thunderstorm moved across the southern portion of the city of Great Falls during the early evening hours of the 29th. The storm produced numerous lightning strikes. One person was injured when lightning struck the ground and traveled to the metal machine he was operating. Lightning also struck a residence and blasted a large hole in the roof above a bedroom. Many branches and power lines were downed by the storm. Lightning also knocked out power to 2500 Great Falls area residents.

  • Hail1.5" hail08/05/2004

    Great Falls, Cascade County

    1 injured

    What happened

    A severe thunderstorm dropped 1.5 inch diameter hail at Great Falls. The hail caused minor injury to a citizen on the northwest side of town.

  • Flash Flood06/19/2003

    Sandcoulee, Cascade County

    $250K damage

    What happened

    A severe thunderstorm moved northeast across Central Cascade County during the evening hours of the 19th. One to two inches of rain fell in 30 minutes as the storm moved through. Flash flooding did occur in the towns of Sand Coulee and Tracy. Water flooded 25 homes and left roadways filled with mud and debris.

  • Blizzard05/07/2024

    Little Belt and Highwood Mountains

    $114K damage

Drinking water

47 community water systems serve about 81,575 people. Violations since 2021.

5 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 8 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.

Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.

Pollution sites

2 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Cascade County

Superfund sites

Toxic release facilities

Total: 643,711 lbs in 2024, 643,079 lbs to air.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk25 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Cascade County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Cascade County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $55.3M a year. The highest-rated hazards are winter weather (very high), cold wave (relatively high), wildfire (relatively low).
What storms are most common in Cascade County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 663 storm events affecting Cascade County, most often thunderstorm wind (224), hail (197), high wind (87).
How many tornadoes have hit Cascade County?
12 tornadoes have been recorded in Cascade County since 1950.
How many homes in Cascade County have flood insurance?
246 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Cascade County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $855K on 257 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Cascade County?
At Great Falls WFO, average highs reach 83°F in Jul and lows fall to 16°F in Jan, with 14.6 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.

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