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Flood in Prairie County, Montana
24 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 24 flood events in Prairie County, Montana, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 12 years.
June is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2% of the 1,175 flood events recorded in Montana; its 1.4 per 100 square miles compares with 0.8 statewide.
Compared with Montana
| Measure | Prairie County | Montana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 24 | 1,175 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.4 | 0.8 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 220.0 | 10.6 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 9 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
5Apr
1May
5Jun
7Jul
4Aug
2Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 24 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 2023 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2015 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Mar 2011 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2007 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2006 | Flash Flood | — | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | — | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Mar 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Mar 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 18 Jul 2001 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Prairie County had?
24 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Prairie County?
26 Jun 2023 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Prairie County?
The flash flood of 1 Jul 1997, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $50K.
How does Prairie County compare with Montana for flood?
1.4 events per 100 square miles against 0.8 statewide; the county holds 24 of the state's 1,175 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.