How Likely Is a Tornado in Carbon County, MT?
Carbon County's tornado history, by the numbers
Carbon County has recorded 3 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 25.6 years - our Minimal band. Put another way: Carbon County sees more tornado activity than 10% of US counties. Among 56 Montana counties in this dataset, Carbon County ranks 37 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
2 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Carbon County's 3-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Carbon County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Montana has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Montana this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
11,498 people live in Carbon County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Montana than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Carbon County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 2,048 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Carbon County has about 11,498 residents.