Custer County, Montana severe weather history spans 544 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #746 nationally and #9 in Montana.
544
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Custer County, Montana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Custer County, Montana severe weather history averages 8.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 157 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 100 events fall before 1990 and 444 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Custer County, Montana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $1.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Custer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 254 | 1 | $386K | 91 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 239 | 0 | $500 | 4.5 | 1958–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $278K | F2 | 1965–2014 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2014 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1999–1999 |
Decade by decade
Custer County, Montana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
10 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-06-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 40.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-05-31 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-08-26 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-07-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-06-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-06-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Custer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 6, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | KINSEY | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 1999 | Lightning | MIZPAH | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | MILES CITY | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | MILES CITY | 0 | 2 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Significant flooding occurred on creeks and streams across Custer County with numerous county roads flooded, closing roads and resulting in significant damage. At the height of the flooding, emergency only travel was advised due to the magnitude of the event. The Powder River near Locate rose above flood stage from May 10th through May 23rd. The river crested four times at 11.29 feet, 11.70 feet, 11.27 feet and 9.28 feet on the 10th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd respectively. In addition, Pumpkin Creek was reported to be flowing over Highway 59 southeast of Miles City. Pumpkin Creek had a record crest of 13.98 feet on May 20th and 21st. The Yellowstone River at Miles City went above flood stage from May 22nd through May 29th. The river crested at 14.74 feet on the 24th and 14.53 feet on the 29th. The Tongue River at Miles City rose above flood stage from May 11th through May 23rd and crested at a record 13.99 feet on May 21st. Damage estimates based on FEMA reviews and Individual Assistance approvals.
The roof of a house was torn off by thunderstorm winds. Another house had part of it's roof torn off. A shed was also blown over and a garage was damaged. Several trees were blown down. Estimated damage was $180 thousand. Winds up to 50 mph were recorded at the airport around this time. The time is estimated.
Heavy rains on the 24th and 25th caused widespread low land flooding across rural Custer County, mainly south of Miles City. Heavy rainfall also caused numerous roads and culverts to wash out in Custer County. A five day total of 4.08 inches at Volborg was reported on the 25th . On the morning of May 25th, a cooperative observer reported that Pumpkin Creek was out of its banks 5 miles north of Volborg with low land flooding. In addition, runoff from recent heavy rains also caused water levels to rise on the Tongue River below the Twelve Mile Dam.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,961
Population (ACS)
$219K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2020 | Fire | SNIDER/RICE FIRE COMPLEX | FM |
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 31, 2018 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 10, 2013 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 17, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Miles City 188
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Custer County, Montana?
544 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $2.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Custer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 254 recorded events — 46.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Custer County?
10 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Custer County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Custer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Custer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Custer County as very low risk, placing it in the 42 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Custer County, Montana severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Chouteau County 331
- Daniels County 278
- Cascade County 620
- Dawson County 544
- Carter County 457
- Deer Lodge County 46
Cite this page
“Custer County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/custer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.