Natural hazards · Helena

Helena, MT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Helena comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Helena?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Helena to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves47%Inland flooding24%Earthquakes13%Avalanches6%Winter weather6%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Helena faces

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

Cold waves

47% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Avalanches

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 0% of U.S. places

Winter weather

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 40 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Helena flood?

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

16paid claims since 1978

$72Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Helena isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lewis and Clark County.

Disasters that hit Helena

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HelenaDeclared for Lewis and Clark County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

158 households applied for aid $272K aid approved $18K to the City of Helena for repairs

Lewis and Clark County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Helena

Helena and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Helena Valley West Centralmostly cold wavesModerate

Helena Valley Southeastmostly cold wavesModerate

East Helenamostly cold wavesModerate

Helena Valley Northeastmostly cold wavesLow

Helena West Sidemostly avalanchesLow

Helenamostly cold wavesVery low

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. Helena covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Helena’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Helena. 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 Helena total about $7.5M 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.