Lincoln County, Montana severe weather history spans 70 recorded events between 1964 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,994 nationally and #52 in Montana.
70
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$32.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Lincoln County, Montana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lincoln County, Montana severe weather history averages 1.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 26 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 62 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $31.0M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lincoln County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 37 | 0 | $1.6M | 87 | 1964–2023 |
| Hail | 14 | 0 | $13K | 3 | 1968–2021 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $31.0M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2011–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2008 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Lincoln County, Montana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lincoln County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | LIBBY | 0 | 2 | $1.5M |
| Jun 30, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | LIBBY | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jun 30, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | LIBBY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | TROY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 20, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | CENTRAL PORTION | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 29, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | LIBBY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Straight line winds blew numerous large trees down onto power lines, buildings, vehicles and roads in and around Yaak. Power was out to the entire community. Several large trees were blown down onto power lines in Libby from straight line winds. From Eureka to Port of Roosville, straight line winds blew numerous large trees and limbs down onto power lines and vehicles. One carport was blown into a field, and roof damage was reported.
Significant power line and power pole damage was reported by the power company, due to multiple, downed trees. A photo on social media showed a large pine tree on top of a car. Power was out in the area for almost 24 hours.
At least four trailer homes in Troy were directly impacted by water that had flowed over US-2 from an unauthorized channel that had overflowed. In Libby, a home cellar was flooded, the Libby Elementary School saw minor issues and Education Way was closed due to flooding caused by a clogged drainage. Silver Butte Creek south of Libby filled with debris causing it to re-route and surround a house with water during the early morning hours of the 19th. Several culverts had to be replaced due to washouts.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,175
Population (ACS)
$297K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Apr 7, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Dec 19, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | EM |
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 10, 2017 | Fire | MOOSE PEAK FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lincoln County, Montana?
70 events are on record between 1964 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $32.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lincoln County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 37 recorded events — 52.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lincoln County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lincoln County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lincoln County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 64 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lincoln 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
- Liberty County 143
- McCone County 479
- Lewis and Clark County 314
- Madison County 84
- Lake County 111
- Meagher County 87
Cite this page
“Lincoln County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/lincoln-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.