Glacier County Courthouse · Photo: J.B. Chandler · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Cut Bank’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 67% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cut Bank gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns, #15 of 42 in Montana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Cut Bank faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Cut Bank’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in Cut Bank, and Cut Bank’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #15 of 42 in Montana; lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Cut Bank’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Montana town has lower expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Cut Bank has less expected damage per building than 66% of Montana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.2M a year in losses across Cut Bank: $966K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Cut Bank flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Cut Bank. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Cut Bank isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Glacier County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cut Bank
Disasters that paid out in Cut Bank itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Cut Bank), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding7 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
- 2002Severe Storms and Flooding$20K to the City of Cut Bank for repairs
Glacier County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Cut Bank after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cut Bank archive →Cut Bank and its neighbors
Cut Bank has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut Bank | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Little Browning | — | 102 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Cut Bank faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Cut Bank
Is Cut Bank at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cut Bank has lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #15 of 42 in Montana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Cut Bank in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Glacier County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Cut Bank?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cut Bank’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Cut Bank?
By FEMA money that reached Cut Bank, Severe Storms and Flooding (2002): $20K to the City of Cut Bank for repairs.
Is Cut Bank at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and Cut Bank’s rate for it is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cut Bank.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cut Bank’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.