Hill County, Montana severe weather history spans 343 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,538 nationally and #18 in Montana.
343
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$4.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Hill County, Montana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hill County, Montana severe weather history averages 4.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 98 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 54 events fall before 1990 and 289 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $3.2M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hill County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 200 | 0 | $316K | 122 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 112 | 0 | $51K | 3.5 | 1955–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2022 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $253K | F1 | 1962–2023 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $3.2M | 0 | 2011–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 2 | 0 | $233K | 0 | 1998–2011 |
Decade by decade
Hill County, Montana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-08-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-06-06 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hill County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | HAVRE | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Mountain snowpack in the Milk River basin melted out very quickly and contributed significant flooding. Virtually the entire Milk River system flooded in a matter of days as a result, starting near the headwaters in Hill County. Big Sandy Creek near Havre crested at 12.07 feet on April 13, which (as of entry) was the fourth highest crest on record. Route 50 was greatly flooded as well as some businesses . Farther north, Lodge Creek below McRae Creek approached Major Flood stage before cresting at 10.59 feet on April 18th. Much of rural northern Hill County experienced flooding as a result. The Milk River gauge near Havre remained below flood stage, although river levels did come out of their banks farther east, ultimately impacting eastern portions of Havre.
Hill County Department of Emergency Services and MT Department of Emergency Services reported flooding in and around the Bears Paw Mountains. Total damage done totaled $1,205,267. The main expenses were to roads & bridges ($368,000) and to parks, recreational, or other facilities ($836,000).
Broadcast Media reposted photos and videos of flooding in the town of Havre due to a thunderstorm producing heavy rainfall. Emergency managers reported that the flooding was confined to the town of Havre and water rose up to 3.25 on streets. No specific damages or injuries were reported due to the flood.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,155
Population (ACS)
$203K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 12, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 30, 2018 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 10, 2013 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hill County, Montana?
343 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $4.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hill County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 200 recorded events — 58.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hill County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hill County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hill County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hill County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hill County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 50 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hill 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
- Granite County 57
- Jefferson County 102
- Golden Valley County 156
- Judith Basin County 247
- Glacier County 171
- Lake County 111
Cite this page
“Hill County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/hill-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.