Natural hazards · Bozeman

Bozeman, MT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bozeman comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Bozeman?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bozeman to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and cold waves.

Earthquakes36%Cold waves27%Inland flooding20%Winter weather7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Bozeman faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

36% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Winter weather

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 46 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Bozeman flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bozeman, from FEMA’s records.

27paid claims since 1979

$199Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Bozeman is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Gallatin County.

Disasters that hit Bozeman

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bozeman itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Bozeman.

Brought FEMA money into BozemanDeclared for Gallatin County only

2001

Severe Winter Storms

$305K to the City of Bozeman for repairs

Gallatin County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bozeman covers 11 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bozeman’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Bozeman. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bozeman total about $19.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.