Natural hazards · Kalispell

Kalispell, MT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kalispell comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1980. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kalispell?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kalispell to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes52%Inland flooding27%Cold waves19%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Kalispell faces

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

Earthquakes

52% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Kalispell flood?

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

5paid claims since 1980

$12Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Flathead County.

Disasters that hit Kalispell

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KalispellDeclared for Flathead County only

2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $57K aid approved $325K to the City of Kalispell for repairs

Flathead County has had 13 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. Kalispell covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kalispell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kalispell. 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 Kalispell total about $16.9M 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.