Natural Disaster Risk in Daniels County

Natural Hazard Profile: Daniels County, Montana

Daniels County is located in the United States in Montana, home to roughly 1,661 residents. The county experiences cold winters, dry summers, and extreme temperature swings, with rapid chinook wind events and spring flooding shaping the natural hazards faced by its communities. FEMA assesses risk at this county level, providing the baseline for every city and ZIP code within its boundaries.

FEMA rates Daniels County's composite natural disaster risk at 3.3 out of 10 — low risk. Cold wave events are the primary hazard risk, driven by periodic invasions of Arctic air that drive wind chills to life-threatening levels and stress heating systems. Residents should also account for tsunami and volcano risk in their preparedness planning.

Daniels County's risk score, considerably below the 4.9/10 state average and below the U.S. national average of 4.5/10. Of the 18 hazard categories tracked by FEMA for Daniels County, the highest-scoring are cold wave, tsunami, and volcano. These scores reflect county-level data and represent the baseline risk that all communities in the county share.

Daniels County carries a below-average natural disaster risk, reflecting fewer and less severe hazard exposures than typical U.S. communities. Even so, the area's primary risk — cold wave — warrants awareness and appropriate insurance coverage, as lower risk does not mean zero risk.