Montana’s 8 Worst Natural And Man-Made Disasters

Montana is no stranger to natural disasters.

Over the years, Montana has witnessed some of the worst natural and man-made disasters in the United States. Of course, while historians will talk about the great Chicago fire of 1871 or the San Fransico earthquake of 1906, Montana has had its fair share of some of those resulting in a significant loss of life which would have been much worse if Montana's population was more condensed.

The most recent disaster that comes to mind was the flood of 2022 which saw an area of the state underwater with houses, bridges, roads, and buildings washed away. What started as early summer rains would turn into not only a "state of emergency", but would impact several small towns and cost the state tens of millions of dollars in lost tourism.

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Flooding isn't the only natural disaster Montana has dealt with over the years. Large fires, blizzards, and earthquakes have also played a factor, which has not only altered Montana's landscape but has claimed many of Montana's sons and daughters along the way.

One of the biggest natural disasters to take place in the state was the fire of 1910, or what many people refer to as "The Big Blowup".

The Big Blowup was a multi-state fire that resulted in parts of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and even parts of British Columbia burning. In the end, 86 people lost their lives, which in reality was a miracle that it wasn't more. The fire destroyed several towns and is considered the biggest fire in U.S. history resulting in more than 3 million acres of forest being destroyed.