The extreme windstorms that swept across Montana in mid-December left destruction and debris so severe that cleanup efforts are still underway.
On Thursday, Jan. 15, Gov. Greg Gianforte sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting a major disaster declaration in response to the storms. In the letter, Gianforte said the event caused an estimated $13.3 million in total damages, including $6.5 million in verified public infrastructure damage across 28 counties and five tribal nations.
The letter states that the storm brought hurricane-force winds — gusting from 60 to 90 mph in valleys and exceeding 100 mph in mountainous areas. The strongest gust, recorded in Teton County, reached 104 mph. The high winds caused widespread treefall, road closures, power outages, and significant structural damage. NorthWestern Energy reported approximately 35,000 outages during the storm.
The impacts included damage to five school districts, 19 of the state’s 25 rural electric cooperatives, and one tribal nation’s primary water system, affecting roughly 80% of Montana.
The disaster came less than a week after flooding in Lincoln County, which resulted in nearly $10 million in damages.
To read Gov. Greg Gianforte's full letter to the President, visit this link: https://gov.mt.gov/_docs/governor/260115LtrtoPresidentTrumpDisasterReliefEmergencyAssistance.pdf
