Natural disasters are no joke, in a matter of just a few moments, lives can be lost along with homes, valued possessions, and a whole lot of memories.

Here in Montana, we've had our share of natural disasters over the years, mainly by the way of wildfires. Each summer there are several fires, however, some fire seasons are far worse than others. For lifelong residents of the state, a few fires will certainly come to mind.

When compared to other states, where does Montana rank for natural disasters? Do we rank near the top?

100.7 KXLB logo
Get our free mobile app

Taking a look at data from our friends over at WalletHub, along with USA Today, we see that Montana can be a dangerous place when it comes to natural disasters with the state ranking 13th out of 50.

Source: WalletHub

The factors used to determine the rankings include the following:

  • Number of Climate Disasters Causing One Billion or More in Damage
  • Loss Amount From Climate Disasters Causing One Billion or More in Damage

When it comes to the number of disasters, Montana ranks 35th. As far as loss amount, we're ranked 8th.

Credit: Canva
Credit: Canva
loading...

Also interesting is the number of times we appear on The 10 Biggest Wildfires in US History. Montana comes in twice, the first time at #10 for the wildfires that took place in 2017. According to the data, between 1.3 and 1.4 million acres were destroyed by the fire.

The second fire that made the list comes in at #4.

The Great Fire of 1910 took place in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and parts of British Columbia. That fire destroyed over 3 million acres and it's estimated that the fire took 85 lives, with most of those being firefighters who were battling the fire.

Credit: Canva
Credit: Canva
loading...

The United States Department of Interior reminds us of tips that will help prevent forest fires, such as checking weather and drought conditions, building your campfire in an open space and poor water on it until it's cold, plus keeping vehicles off of dry grass.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns

Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection’s cultural significance and legacy along the way.

More From 100.7 KXLB