Tornado Risk in McCone County, MT
McCone County, MT: what NOAA's tornado record says
9 tornado tracks have crossed McCone County since 1954 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 8.5 years - the Low band on this site's scale. That is the 25th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Among 56 Montana counties in this dataset, McCone County ranks 21 for how often a tornado touches down.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in McCone County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 9 recorded tracks, 7 were weak (EF0-1) and 2 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
Montana does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a McCone County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
A direct hit is not required for McCone County to lose power - outbreak-wide outages across Montana regularly reach homes and businesses well outside the actual tracks. A battery bank covers that gap without a generator's fuel and venting needs.
What McCone County's figure does not tell you
McCone County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. McCone County covers about 2,642 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. McCone County has about 1,717 residents.