Gallatin County Disaster Risk

Gallatin County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 81th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Gallatin County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (94th percentile), wildfire (91th percentile), flooding (64th percentile), tornado (17th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 94th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Gallatin County's composite risk percentile is 81th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Gallatin County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Gallatin County's earthquake risk is at the 94th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Gallatin County is at the 64th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Gallatin County's composite risk score of 81th percentile is above the Montana state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (94th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.