Summary
Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2027-05-08. Plan: Wheatland County, MT Hazard Mitigation Plan 2022 (FEMA plan 108066), approved 2022-05-09.
Since the plan was approved on 2022-05-09: 2 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): DR-4801-MT (Severe Winter Storm and Flooding), DR-4902-MT (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds).
NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 92 records (data through 2026-06-30).
Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($1,253,785 a year), Cold Wave ($485,015) and Lightning ($155,305).
Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0.
The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.
Plan clock
- Status:
- Approved, expires 2027-05-08
- Plan:
- Wheatland County, MT Hazard Mitigation Plan 2022 (FEMA plan 108066)
- Approved:
- 2022-05-09
- Days to expiry:
- 220
- Update underway:
- none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker
What changed since your last plan (approved 2022-05-09)
- New federal declarations:
- 2 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): DR-4801-MT (Severe Winter Storm and Flooding), DR-4902-MT (Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds)
- Storm Events records since approval:
- 92 records (data through 2026-06-30)
- Repetitive loss now:
- FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
- Repeat-flood change:
- this release sets the baseline count.
Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)
Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county
Source: 1
| Jurisdiction | Type | Status | Plan | Approved | Expires | Days to expirynegative = days since expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland County | County | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | Wheatland County, MT Hazard Mitigation Plan 2022 (FEMA plan 108066) | 2022-05-09 | 2027-05-08 | 220 |
| Harlowton city | City | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | Wheatland County, MT Hazard Mitigation Plan 2022 (FEMA plan 108066) | 2022-05-09 | 2027-05-08 | 220 |
| Judith Gap city | City | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | Wheatland County, MT Hazard Mitigation Plan 2022 (FEMA plan 108066) | 2022-05-09 | 2027-05-08 | 220 |
State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification
Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)
- dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
- levee failure
- flash flood as its own subtype
- ice jams
- debris flows
- erosion (riverine and coastal)
- land subsidence and sinkholes
- expansive soils
The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)
Sources: 5, 6
| Rank by EAL | Hazard | NRI risk rating | EAL rating | EAL buildingsmodeled dollars per year | EAL agriculturemodeled dollars per year | Cost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damage | EAL total (see note)modeled dollars per year | Storm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30count | Why this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996 | Storm Events coverage note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inland Flooding | Very Low | Very Low | $1,252,259 | $14 | $1,512 | $1,253,785 | 9 | ||
| 2 | Cold Wave | Relatively Low | Relatively Low | $1,861 | $137,866 | $345,288 | $485,015 | 0 | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). | |
| 3 | Lightning | Relatively Low | Relatively Low | $1,197 | n/a | $154,108 | $155,305 | 0 | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). | |
| 4 | Hail | Very Low | Very Low | $41,472 | $25,179 | $2,602 | $69,253 | 96 | ||
| 5 | Wildfire | Very Low | Very Low | $40,358 | $39 | $799 | $41,196 | 0 | Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type. | |
| 6 | Earthquake | Very Low | Very Low | $29,403 | n/a | $4,625 | $34,028 | Storm Events does not record earthquakes. | ||
| 7 | Winter Weather | Relatively Low | Relatively Low | $460 | $70 | $22,861 | $23,391 | 136 | ||
| 8 | Tornado | Very Low | Very Low | $17,931 | $485 | $1,927 | $20,343 | 4 | ||
| 9 | Strong Wind | Very Low | Very Low | $2,475 | $4,077 | $5,234 | $11,787 | 246 | Includes 217 High Wind records (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition). | |
| 10 | Drought | Very Low | Very Low | n/a | $9,451 | n/a | $9,451 | 1 | ||
| 11 | Heat Wave | Very Low | Very Low | $4 | $1,581 | $6,665 | $8,250 | 0 | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). | |
| 12 | Ice Storm | Very Low | Very Low | $952 | n/a | $141 | $1,093 | 0 | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). | |
| 13 | Landslide | Very Low | Very Low | $55 | n/a | $51 | $106 | 0 | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). | |
| 14 | Avalanche | Very Low | Very Low | $0 | n/a | $16 | $16 | 1 | ||
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | 0 | NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3253-MT names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d). | No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30). |
Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).
NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.
Local data needed: state and local lightning, wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).
Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.
The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location
Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.
Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.
NRI rating of the county's single census tract
Source: 5
| Hazard | Census tractNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100 |
|---|---|
| Avalanche | tract 1 (Very Low, 6.9) |
| Earthquake | tract 1 (Relatively Low, 58.8) |
| Hurricane | no tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard |
| Landslide | tract 1 (Relatively Low, 83.0) |
| Tornado | tract 1 (Relatively Low, 35.2) |
| Wildfire | tract 1 (Relatively Moderate, 92.5) |
A tract number is the Census tract number (for example 1 is Census Tract 1). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent
Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard
Sources: 6, 7
| Hazard | Scale | Recordscount and years | Observed range | Worst recorded event | Most damaging (when different) | How it applies to jurisdictions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | none (count and damage only) | 1 record, 2025 (1 zone-level) | No damage reported in 1 record. | Countywide (zone-level records). | Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||
| Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | wind chill | 0 | Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition) | crop damage | 0 | Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Drought | U.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4) | 1 record, 2021 (1 zone-level) | 31 days; 1 with a recorded value | 31 days (1 month), 2021-08-01 to 2021-08-31, zone-level | Countywide (zone-level records). | Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only. | |
| Earthquake | Modified Mercalli (local data) | 0 | Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source. | ||||
| Hail | hail size (inches) | 107 records, 1956 to 2025 | 0.75 in to 2.75 in (median 1 in); 107 with a recorded value | 2.75 in hail, 2013-07-08 | Hail, 1994-06-22, $5,000 property; crops not recorded (1994 dollars) | Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Harlowton city (37 records), Judith Gap city (17 records). | |
| Excessive Heat, Heat | heat index (in event narratives) | 0 | Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression | Saffir-Simpson | 0 | Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records. | ||||
| Ice Storm | Sperry-Piltz ice scale (local data) | 0 | Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood | damage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM) | 9 records, 1998 to 2018 | No damage reported in 9 records. | Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Harlowton city (2 records). | Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most. | ||
| Debris Flow | none (count and damage only) | 0 | Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Lightning | annualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names) | 0 | Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition) | wind speed (kt and mph) | 217 records, 1996 to 2026 (217 zone-level) | 35 kt (40 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 217 with a recorded value | 87 kt (100 mph), measurement type not recorded, High Wind, 1996-12-04; Storm Events area SOUTHERN WHEATLAND (legacy zone code MTZ028) | Countywide (zone-level records). | ||
| Thunderstorm Wind | wind speed (kt and mph) | 31 records, 1981 to 2026 | 50 kt (58 mph) to 70 kt (81 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 30 with a recorded value | 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2009-07-06 | Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Harlowton city (10 records), Judith Gap city (10 records). | ||
| Tornado | Enhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007) | 7 records, 1978 to 2019 | F/EF0; 5 with a recorded value | EF0 tornado, 2019-06-27, 0.39 mi within this county, 50 yd wide, $0 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars); same rating, casualties and property damage also recorded on 2010-09-09 | Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Judith Gap city (2 records), Harlowton city (1 record). | Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods). | |
| Wildfire | acres burned (local data) | 0 | Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed). | ||||
| Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet | none in data (snowfall: local data) | 136 records, 1996 to 2026 (136 zone-level) | No damage reported in 136 records. | Countywide (zone-level records). | Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed). |
Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).
Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences
Federal declarations for this county: 10 declarations covering 7 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).
Federal disaster declarations for this county
Sources: 1, 2, 3
| Declared | Incident began | FEMA number | Type | Title | Mapped hazard | County Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollars | Flags | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | 2025-12-17 | DR-4902-MT | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds | Strong Wind (primary); also designated: Winter Weather | none placed in this county by FEMA's record; $569,734.59 for this declaration is not placed in any county (see the state page) | new since last plan; within last 5 years | |
| 2024-07-18 | 2024-05-06 | DR-4801-MT | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | Inland Flooding; Winter Weather | no Public Assistance recorded | new since last plan; within last 5 years | |
| 2020-03-31 | 2020-01-20 | DR-4508-MT | Major disaster | COVID-19 Pandemic | Non-natural, not counted | no Public Assistance recorded | ||
| 2020-03-13 | 2020-01-20 | EM-3476-MT | Emergency | COVID-19 | Non-natural, not counted | no Public Assistance recorded | same incident as DR-4508 | |
| 2014-04-17 | 2014-03-01 | DR-4172-MT | Major disaster | Ice Jams and Flooding | Inland Flooding | $109,344.44 | ||
| 2011-06-17 | 2011-04-04 | DR-1996-MT | Major disaster | Severe Storms and Flooding | Inland Flooding | $202,259.96 | ||
| 2005-09-13 | 2005-08-29 | EM-3253-MT | Emergency | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not counted | no Public Assistance recorded | ||
| 2000-08-30 | 2000-07-13 | DR-1340-MT | Major disaster | Wildfires | Wildfire | PA not declared for this county | ||
| 1997-07-25 | 1997-03-01 | DR-1183-MT | Major disaster | Severe Storms,Ice Jams, Snow Melt, Flooding | Inland Flooding | no Public Assistance recorded | ||
| 1975-06-28 | 1975-06-28 | DR-472-MT | Major disaster | Rains, Showmelt, Storms & Flooding | Inland Flooding | no Public Assistance recorded |
County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.
Statewide declarations
Source: 2
| Declared | Incident began | FEMA number | Type | Title | Mapped hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-12-18 | 1964-12-18 | DR-182-MT | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm | Winter Weather |
| 1964-06-09 | 1964-06-09 | DR-172-MT | Major disaster | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Inland Flooding |
| 1953-06-06 | 1953-06-06 | DR-5-MT | Major disaster | Floods | Inland Flooding |
FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.
11 Fire Management declarations (1973-08-16 to 1996-09-06) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.
Public Assistance not placed in any Montana county: 2 rows, $679,475.72; listed on the Montana state page.
Source: 3
Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows
Sources: 2, 6, 7
| Hazard | Storm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column) | Since plan approvalrecords | In the 12 months before plan approvalrecords | Last 5 yearsrecords | Declared incidents, all yearsseparate disasters | Declared since approvalseparate disasters | Period | Statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | |
| Cold Wave | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Drought | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | |
| Earthquake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source. | |
| Hail | 107 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1955 to 2026-06-30 | |
| Heat Wave | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Hurricane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Ice Storm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Inland Flooding | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | |
| Landslide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Lightning | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events |
| Strong Wind | 248 | 48 | 20 | 66 | 1 | 1 | 1955 to 2026-06-30 | Includes 217 High Wind records. |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1950 to 2026-06-30 | |
| Wildfire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 | No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table) |
| Winter Weather | 136 | 31 | 3 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 1996 to 2026-06-30 |
Notable Storm Events records
Sources: 1, 6, 7
| Date | Event type | Magnitude or extent | Damagenominal dollars | Deaths, injuriesdirect only | Location | Flags | Why listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-01 | Drought | $0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2021 dollars) | 0, 0 | NWS zone MTZ063 (JUDITH GAP), zone-level | in the 12 months before plan approval | B1-c worst recorded: Drought | |
| 2019-06-27 | Tornado | EF0, 0.39 mi within this county, 50 yd wide | $0 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars) | 0, 0 | JUDITH GAP | B1-c worst recorded: Tornado | |
| 2013-07-08 | Hail | 2.75 in | $0 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars) | 0, 0 | HARLOWTON BAXTER ARP | B1-c worst recorded: Hail | |
| 2009-07-06 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust | $0 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars) | 0, 0 | TWODOT | B1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind | |
| 1996-12-04 | High Wind | 87 kt (100 mph), measurement type not recorded | damage not reported | 0, 0 | Storm Events area SOUTHERN WHEATLAND (legacy zone code MTZ028), zone-level | B1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind | |
| 1994-06-22 | Hail | 1 in | $5,000 property; crops not recorded (1994 dollars) | 0, 0 | Harlowton | B1-c most damaging: Hail |
The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (509 rows).
Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.
Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).
Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events
Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard
Sources: 5, 6
| Hazard | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per row | Unit | In plain terms | Descriptor | Descriptor basis | NRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional) | NRI period | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 0.01 | events per year | about 1 in 100 years | Possible | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | 0 | 1994 to 2023 (30 years) | see B1-f | 0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events. |
| Cold Wave | 4.11 | event-days per year | about 4.11 days per year | event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%) | 78.1 | 2005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years) | countywide | No Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025. | |
| Drought | 72.9 | event-days per year | about 72.9 days per year | Possible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years) | event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%) | 1,841 | 2000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only) | countywide | |
| Earthquake | 0.00112 | annual probability at a location | chance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.112% | not shown | modeled | see B1-f | No descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes). | ||
| Hail | 1.66 | events per year | about 1.66 per year | Highly likely | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | 62.9 (modeled) | 1986 to 2023 (38 years) | countywide | |
| Heat Wave | 0.982 | event-days per year | about 0.982 days per year | event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%) | 9.78 | 2005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years) | countywide | No Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025 | |
| Hurricane | events per year | 1851 to 2024 (Atlantic) | see B1-f | Not Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor. | |||||
| Ice Storm | 0.0149 | event-days per year | about 0.0149 days per year | event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%) | 0 | 1946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years) | countywide | No Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025 | |
| Inland Flooding | 0.321 | event-days per year | about 0.321 days per year | Likely (from Storm Events: 6 of 30 years) | event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%) | 9 | 1996 to 2023 (28 years) | see B1-f | |
| Landslide | 0.459 | events per year (modeled) | about 1 in 2 years | Likely | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | not shown | modeled | see B1-f | |
| Lightning | 34.8 | days per year with a strike | about 34.8 days per year | Highly likely | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | not shown | 1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS) | countywide | |
| Strong Wind | 0.67 | events per year | about 0.67 per year | Likely | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | 26 | 1986 to 2023 (38 years) | countywide | |
| Tornado | 0.109 | events per year | about 1 in 9 years | Likely | FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) | not shown | 1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1) | see B1-f | |
| Wildfire | 0.000396 | annual probability at a location | chance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0396% | Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%) | not shown | modeled | see B1-f | No descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025 | |
| Winter Weather | 20.1 | event-days per year | about 20.1 days per year | Likely (from Storm Events: 22 of 30 years) | event-days in 22 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (73.3%) | 381 | 2005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years) | countywide |
FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.
Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.
Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)
Sources: 5, 6
| Unit | Descriptor | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| events per year | Highly likely | 1 or more per year |
| events per year | Likely | about once in 1 to 10 years |
| events per year | Possible | about once in 10 to 100 years |
| events per year | Unlikely | less than once in 100 years |
| annual probability | Likely | 10% to under 100% chance in a given year |
| annual probability | Possible | 1% to under 10% chance in a given year |
| annual probability | Unlikely | under 1% chance in a given year |
| event-days (share of years) | Highly likely | event-days recorded in 90% or more of years |
| event-days (share of years) | Likely | event-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years |
| event-days (share of years) | Possible | event-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years |
| lightning strike-days | Highly likely | cloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year |
Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)
Source: 6
| Hazard | Band | Years | Eventscounty-coded records | Years in period | Events per yearevents / years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1.00-1.99 in | 1996 to 2025 | 53 | 30 | 1.77 |
| Hail | 2.00 in+ | 1996 to 2025 | 6 | 30 | 0.2 |
| Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind) | 50-64 kt | 1996 to 2025 | 25 | 30 | 0.833 |
| Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind) | 65 kt+ | 1996 to 2025 | 3 | 30 | 0.1 |
| Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind) | unmeasured or below 50 kt | 1996 to 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Tornado | EF0-1 | 1996 to 2025 | 4 | 30 | 0.133 |
| Tornado | EF2-3 | 1996 to 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Tornado | EF4-5 | 1996 to 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Tornado | unrated (EFU) | 1996 to 2025 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).
Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.
Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).
Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions
NRI risk score of the county's single census tract
Source: 5
| Hazard | Tract scoreNRI score, 0 to 100 | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 6.9 | Very Low |
| Cold Wave | 97.1 | Very High |
| Drought | 88.7 | Relatively Low |
| Earthquake | 58.8 | Relatively Low |
| Hail | 89.8 | Relatively High |
| Heat Wave | 14.5 | Very Low |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | |
| Ice Storm | 19.5 | Very Low |
| Inland Flooding | 90.9 | Relatively High |
| Landslide | 83.0 | Relatively Low |
| Lightning | 99.7 | Very High |
| Strong Wind | 47.6 | Relatively Low |
| Tornado | 35.2 | Relatively Low |
| Wildfire | 92.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| Winter Weather | 96.1 | Very High |
The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.
Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)
Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6
| Jurisdiction | Type | Plan status | Repetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definition | Public Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollars | Event records naming this placeall years; since its plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland County | County | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0 | $283,131.95 | 0 total; 0 since its plan |
| Harlowton city | City | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0 | $28,472.45 | 50 total; 12 since its plan |
| Judith Gap city | City | Approved, expires 2027-05-08 | FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0 | no Public Assistance recorded | 29 total; 2 since its plan |
Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).
Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts
Local data needed
The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.
- Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
- A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
- Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
- Future assets
County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
| Hazard | Building exposuremodeled dollars | Agriculture exposuremodeled dollars | Population exposedpeople | EAL buildingsmodeled dollars per year | EAL agriculturemodeled dollars per year | Cost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damage | EAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where noted | Storm Events damage since 2022-05-09county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollars | Zone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zone | Public Assistance since plannominal dollars; see note | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | $0 | n/a | under 1 | $0 | n/a | $16 | $0 | building exposure is 0 in NRI | |||
| Cold Wave | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $1,861 | $137,866 | $345,288 | 0.000176% | ||||
| Drought | n/a | $8,312,743 | n/a | n/a | $9,451 | n/a | 0.114% (agriculture) | NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown | |||
| Earthquake | $1,855,463,020 | n/a | 2,069 | $29,403 | n/a | $4,625 | 0.00158% | ||||
| Hail | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $41,472 | $25,179 | $2,602 | 0.00393% | $0 | |||
| Heat Wave | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $4 | $1,581 | $6,665 | under 0.0001% | ||||
| Hurricane | Not Applicable in NRI for this county | ||||||||||
| Ice Storm | $1,056,423,219 | n/a | 2,067 | $952 | n/a | $141 | under 0.0001% | ||||
| Inland Flooding | $1,054,814,767 | $1,968,847 | 154 | $1,252,259 | $14 | $1,512 | n/a (see note) | no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration) | NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b. | ||
| Landslide | $12,636,083 | n/a | 27 | $55 | n/a | $51 | 0.000435% | ||||
| Lightning | $1,056,423,219 | n/a | 2,067 | $1,197 | n/a | $154,108 | 0.000113% | ||||
| Strong Wind | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $2,475 | $4,077 | $5,234 | 0.000234% | $0 | $0 | no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration) | |
| Tornado | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $17,931 | $485 | $1,927 | 0.0017% | ||||
| Wildfire | $308,770,047 | $32,874,211 | 751 | $40,358 | $39 | $799 | 0.0131% | ||||
| Winter Weather | $1,056,423,219 | $55,476,725 | 2,067 | $460 | $70 | $22,861 | under 0.0001% | $0 | no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations) |
Totals since 2022-05-09 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 20 county-coded records, 20 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 72 zone-level records, 72 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 2 counted declarations.
FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.
NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.
Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)
County context
Source: 5
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,067 |
| Building value (total, not at risk) | $1,056,423,219 |
| Agriculture value (total, not at risk) | $55,476,725 |
| NRI risk rating (all hazards) | Very Low |
| Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards | $1,567,190 |
| Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage) | $545,830 |
| Social vulnerability rating | Relatively High |
| Community resilience rating | Very Low |
| NRI version | December 2025 |
FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.
Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.
Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties
Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions
Sources: 1, 4
| Definition | Properties | Severe repetitive loss | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2) | 0 | Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2) | 0 |
| Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition | 0 | Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition | 0 |
The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).
Repeat-flood properties: county total and NFIP communities
Sources: 1, 4
| Scope | RL, FMAproperties | SRL, FMAproperties | RL, NFIPproperties | SRL, NFIPproperties | Any categoryproperties | Mitigatedproperties | Currently insuredproperties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)
Sources: 1, 4
| Jurisdiction | NFIP community ID | RL, FMAproperties | SRL, FMAproperties | RL, NFIPproperties | SRL, NFIPproperties | Any categoryproperties | Mitigatedproperties | Currently insuredproperties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland County | 300172 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harlowton city | 300175 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Judith Gap city | 300136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".
Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.
County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group: 0 in every occupancy group.
Sources: 1, 4
FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.
Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.
In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 0 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.
Exact counts; no count suppression.
Sources
Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):
- FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
- FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
- FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
- NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
- NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
- U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)
What this packet is and what the plan adds
This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the item is met.
The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.
How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.
OpenFEMA disclaimer
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Reuse, citation and corrections
Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.
Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Wheatland County, MT: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 30107). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/mt/30107/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.
Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]
Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.