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McCone County, Montana

52 topographic sheets cover 21 settlements here, and 2 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

2 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Montana within the United States
McCone County within Montana

What the record shows

  • 135 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 2 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 1 building and 1 structure.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 21 populated places in this county; 21 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

2

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Gladstone Hotelbuilding198080004592
Lewis and Clark Bridgestructure199797001451

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

82 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 82 of them, burning about 9,689 acres. 24 started naturally and 1 was recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use30
Natural24
Missing data/not specified/undetermined17
Debris and open burning4
Fireworks2
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Firearms and explosives use1
Recreation and ceremony1
Arson/incendiarism1
Smoking1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
24 March 2008Debris and open burning5,064 acresMiles City Field OfficeEASTER
30 August 2006Natural1,308 acresMiles City Field OfficeFLYING CREEK
9 August 2020Equipment and vehicle use422 acresMcCone CountyDUCK CREEK
8 September 1998Natural365 acresMiles City Field OfficeMCCONE
27 August 2020Natural320 acresMcCone CountyFUDGE - MCCONE
23 July 2016Equipment and vehicle use189 acresEastern Land OfficeMAXWELL HILL - MCCONE
1 September 2006Natural156 acresMiles City Field OfficeGIBBS
17 May 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined150 acresEastern Land OfficeSTONEY

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1954 to 2026

60 of 479 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 479 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 4 injuries and about $5,585,300 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Hail237
Thunderstorm Wind199
Flash Flood16
Tornado9
Flood8
Heavy Rain7
Funnel Cloud3

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1983Tornado (F1)not stated1 killed, 1 hurt, $250,000no account filed
July 1996HailCircle2 hurt, $30,000no account filed
August 1995HailVida1 hurt, $25,000Three-inch hail damaged car windshields and tore gutters off of homes. Several wheat fields sustained damage. The hail tore the roof off a John Deere combine. One woman was injured when hail struck her in the forehead.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindCircle$1,600,000Damaging downburst winds blew down 25 steel electric towers as well as 25 wooden power poles. It also caused 100 percent crop damage over a 20 mile long area starting from 10 miles north and northwest of Circle, then southeast along Highway 200 to the Dawson County line. The crop damage ranged from 1 to 5 miles wide. Several farms had significant damage to buildings and property. The town of Circle had the grain elevators crushed in, with significant wind damage to other portions of the elevator buildings. Metal sheeting from the grain elevators was found downstream nearly a mile away. Many houses and vehicles had windows broken or shattered, and large trees were uprooted. The Circle Airport had a measured wind gust of 113 mph.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindCow Creek Dot$1,200,000Several power line poles (both from the local electric cooperative and the Department of Energy, which were replaced in recent years) were snapped at their bases in this area. A nearby home weather station recorded a 79 mph thunderstorm wind gust.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindBrockway$350,000Public reported wind damage just west of Brockway and just south of US Highway 200. Former emergency manager's roof was blown half off, and part of his garage was collapsed. Event time is estimated. House was totaled by insurance.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindCow Creek Dot$284,000Follow-up information: DOE/WAPA had 14 H-structure power poles snapped or blown over along MT highway 13. These power poles were less than 1 year old. The rural utility company had 50 single-line poles snapped or blown over along MT highway 13. Three to five miles west of that location, another 25 power poles were snapped or blown over.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindBrockway$280,000Significant damage to 30 power transmission poles and 30-40 power distribution poles along Highway 200 between Van Norman and Brockway. A large camper was rolled in the Timber Creek area along Highway 24.
July 1995Tornadonot stated$250,000A tornado did damage to a farmstead. The tornado lifted a house and then set it back on its foundation. Several outbuildings were destroyed. A grain semi which was parked in front of the yard was overturned. Several ,pick-up trucks parked around the farm were overturned.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindBrockway$187,000Utility company reported more than 100 power poles and 16 distribution towers down along MT-Highway 200. Started about 2 miles west of Brockway, then northeastward toward the town of Circle.
June 2005Flash FloodSouth Portion$172,000Water was running over Horse Creek Road northwest of Circle. There was considerable damage to roads, bridges, and culverts in the southern portion of the county. Three bridges were out due to the heavy rainfall, and one 6 foot culvert collapsed along Duck Creek Road near Watkins. One home was evacuated, and three homes had severe flood damage along County Road 252, and continued to have problems during the month of June with each additional rainfall.
July 2000HailCircle$150,000Baseball sized hail six inches deep fell on the community of Circle breaking windows and destroying area crops.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindWeldon$100,000At the Nelson Creek Recreation Area, law enforcement officials reported three unoccupied camping trailers were rolled and destroyed.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindWeldon$100,000NWS employees conducted a damage survey of a collapsed barn, estimating winds speeds of 85 to 90 mph.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindVida$100,000A metal pole barn with wooden frame sustained damage from thunderstorm outflow winds, including the roof being blown off, and the north and south walls collapsing. Owner was not present to witness the damage. Event time is estimated from radar imagery. Through discussion and photo analysis of the damage, the peak wind speed is estimated at 95 mph.
June 2007HailVida$100,000The hail was accompanied by 50 to 60 mph thunderstorm wind gusts. The combination of the hail and wind led to some significant crop damage as well as structural damage to several farms. See entire episode narrative for full details.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindCircle$45,000A small bow echo downed eight power poles along Highway 200 and damaged a few shed roofs. The power was not restored until August 1st.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindCircle$40,000An airplane hanger housing two airplanes was destroyed as its roof was lifted off and the walls caved in. The airplanes inside were significantly damaged.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindCircle$35,000Severe thunderstorm winds took down eight power lines in Circle leaving 100 customers without power. Strong winds also took the top off of on of the local grain bins.
June 2010Tornado (EF1)Ft Peck Lake Handar$30,000Landowner reported a tornado that snapped numerous trees and damaged some metal storage sheds across his property. Tornadic winds were estimated from NWS Survey at 100 mph.
July 2001HailVida$30,000A Montana Department of Transportation truck got caught in large hail along Highway 24, near Rock Creek. The truck had several large hail dents in it, and the windshield was shattered.
July 2000Flash FloodWeldon$30,000Heavy rain caused caused a bridge on the Weldon Road to be washed out.
July 1999HailWeldon$25,000A severe thunderstorm dropped softball sized hail near the small community of Weldon. Windows were broken out of homes and pickup trucks. At 11 a.m. the next morning, the hail was still the size of quarters.
August 1954Tornado (F2)not stated$25,000no account filed
July 2013HailBrockway$20,000Trained spotter reported hail up to the size of golf balls broke windows, damaged siding, damaged a camper, and destroyed a pea crop.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindVida$20,000Telephone poles were down on Highway 13 at mile marker 33. Also, 13 power poles were blown down by damaging thunderstorm winds.
August 2002Flash FloodNorthwest Portion$20,000no account filed
June 2007HailVida$10,000The hail ranged in size from nickel to quarter and covered the ground. Two windows were blown out on the west side of a home along with some damge to the siding. See entire episode narrative for full details.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindCircle$10,000Wind tipped camper over on Highway 200 5 miles southwest of Circle.
August 1995HailVida$10,000Grapefruit-size hail damaged shingles and car windshields. Some wheat was destroyed. Some windows were also broken in houses.
August 2002HailVida$10,000no account filed
July 2000Thunderstorm WindVida$10,000no account filed
July 1998Thunderstorm WindBrockway$8,000Roof damage done to businesses in Brockway.
July 2013HailBrockway$5,000Trained spotter reported that hail up to the size of baseballs fell for over 10 minutes, breaking windows and stripping most of the leaves from a tree.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindCircle$5,000Awning torn off of a home and flipped up on the roof by severe winds.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindVandalia$5,000A storm spotter just south of poplar reported an estimated wind gust of 70 mph.
July 1995Thunderstorm Windnot stated$5,000no account filed
July 1999HailVida$4,000no account filed
May 1991Tornado (F0)not stated$2,500no account filed
May 2010Flash FloodFt Peck Lake Handar$1,000Spotter reported water over Highway 24 at North Rock Creek turnoff. Adjacent fields were covered with two to three feet of water.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindVida$1,000A roof was blown off of a small machine shed.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindVida$600Cottonwood tree limbs were blown off.
June 2010HailVida$100Clouds were rotating with 50 mph winds accompanying the hail. A window was broken from the storm.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindBrockway$100The wind removed a window screen and blew it across the yard.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindVida-The Vida W Montana Climate Office mesonet site (VDWM8) recorded a 58 mph wind gust.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindVida-The Vida NE Montana Climate Office mesonet site (VDNM8) recorded a 60 mph wind gust.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindFt Peck Lake Handar-The Fort Peck Dam handar site (GGWFP) measured a 59 mph wind gust.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindWeldon-The Fort Peck S Montana Climate Office mesonet site (MTM87) recorded a 66 mph wind gust.
April 2026Thunderstorm WindFt Peck Lake Handar-The Fort Peck Lake handar site (GGWFP) recorded a 66 mph wind gust.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindWeldon-Report occurred at the Mesonet station MTM87 Fort Peck S.
June 2025HailCircle-Hail up to the size of quarters was reported with wind gusts up to 30 mph.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindFt Peck Lake Handar-This was reported by the Handar at the Fort Peck Dam station.
July 2025HailBrockway-Trained spotter reported that their vehicle windshield was cracked by hen egg size hail.
July 2025HailBrockway-Public reported hen egg size hail.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindFt Peck Lake Handar-A wind gust of 60 mph was measured at the Fort Peck Dam mesonet site (GGWFP).
July 2025Thunderstorm WindBrockway-Public reported difficulty controlling their vehicle and estimated wind gusts of 60 mph.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindVida-Trained spotter reported a 63 mph wind gust.
July 2025Funnel CloudBrockway-Video of a funnel cloud was recorded by a storm chaser and posted on social media.
July 2025HailBrockway-Trained spotter reported their truck window was broken by ping pong ball size hail.
August 2025Thunderstorm WindFt Peck Lake Handar-Public estimated 80 mph wind gusts.

Every populated place in the county

21

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

The vanished settlements of McCone County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.