78
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.1M
Property damage
Flood in Valley County, Montana: 78 recorded events between 1999 and 2023. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #107 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flood in Valley County, Montana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flood in Valley County is the 2010s, when 64 of the county's 78 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Valley County archive, flood makes up 6.3% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #107 for this hazard and #1 within Montana, putting it in the 96.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for flood in Valley County with 23 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2023 | GLASGOW | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2023 | NASHUA | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2023 | GLASGOW | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 2023 | TAMPICO | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 11, 2023 | NASHUA | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | HINSDALE | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 1, 2020 | TAMPICO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2020 | TAMPICO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 7, 2020 | NASHUA | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 6, 2020 | GLASGOW | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Valley County
- Thunderstorm Wind 575
- Hail 470
- Tornado 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall in the basin with amounts ranging from 4 to 10 inches over a four day period caused significant flooding in all the streams in the basin, and eventually the rivers. Willow Creek, Antelope Creek, Cherry Creek, Larb Creek, Brazil Creek all flooded during this time frame, blocking off many gravel roads around the county. Valley County had at least 36 locations with damages and DES reported to FEMA the totals were $1.2 million. Willow Creek Road from Fort Peck to the Pines had a very large area completely wiped out with a large culvert gone.
The Milk River at Tampico gauge (TMPM8) had been transmitting erroneous data for the previous week or so due to issues with the gage. On March 31st it began recording the correct river level again after being alerted to the issue by local DES, and repairs made by USGS. With the flood stage set at 23.0 feet, the gauge immediately showed the river at 23.4 feet at 4:13 PM MST. Through the rest of the day to end the month of March, the river had risen to a level of 23.5 feet. This flooding continued into the first few days of April.
Excessive snow melt caused flooding at the river gauge on the Milk River near Tampico (TMPM8). The gauge recorded river levels reaching flood stage at 1:00 AM MST on April 18th. The river crested at 26.98 feet at 2:00 AM MST on April 25th. River levels remained near the crest through the end of April, and remained at or above flood stage into May.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flood events are on record in Valley County, Montana?
78 flood events are recorded in Valley County between 1999 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flood recorded in Valley County?
The strongest flood on record in Valley County measured 0.
Where does the flood data for Valley County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flood in Valley County, Montana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/montana/valley-county/flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.