Is Lake County, MT in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Lake County's flood hazard at the 57.2th percentile nationally — below the national norm for flood hazard — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 2 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Lake County
Out of 180 homes FEMA counts inside Lake County's mapped flood zone, 13 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 7.2% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Lake County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Lake County against the rest of the country
Lake County sits at rank 1408 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1357 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Lake County, Montana covers 1,490.505 square miles and counts roughly 33,403 residents.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Lake County
30 of Lake County's 15,709 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Lake County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.