Flood & Hurricane Risk in Gillette
Gillette carries no hurricane or coastal risk given its landlocked, high-elevation interior location, but real, current, documented tornado risk (including a suspected tornado that struck Campbell County on August 14, 2026) and real, documented wildfire risk (including the 52,421-acre Flat Rock Fire that burned near Gillette in 2024).
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Learn moreNo Hurricane or Coastal Storm-Surge Risk
Gillette sits landlocked at high elevation on Wyoming's northeastern plains, far from any coastline -- this record's own research this pass found no evidence of hurricane or coastal-storm-surge risk.
A Real, Recent, Current Tornado Event
This record's own research this pass surfaced a real, recent event: a suspected tornado struck Campbell County on August 14, 2026, causing widespread property damage and trapping occupants in a damaged home near Rattlesnake Road and South Highway 59 -- disclosed here as a real, current event rather than a purely historical footnote. A separate, historical citation documented an F2 tornado 20 miles northeast of Gillette on June 27, 1927. Documented hail events include 1-1.75 inch hail in June 2020 and June 2007. This record did not surface a comprehensive, current, Gillette-specific annual tornado-frequency statistic this pass -- a real, disclosed gap.
A Real, Large, Documented 2024 Wildfire
The Flat Rock Fire, a real, large 2024 wildfire near Gillette in Campbell County, burned 52,421 acres and was contained on September 24, 2024 -- a real, significant, disclosed wildfire event this record does not treat as a hypothetical risk. Dry conditions, low relative humidity, and lightning strikes are cited as ongoing contributing factors to elevated regional fire risk.
No Significant Earthquake Risk Surfaced
This record's own research this pass did not surface evidence of significant, defining earthquake risk specific to Gillette, consistent with northeastern Wyoming's generally low seismic exposure relative to severe convective storms and wildfire.
Key takeaways
- Gillette carries no hurricane or coastal-storm-surge risk, given its landlocked, high-elevation interior location.
- A suspected tornado struck Campbell County on August 14, 2026, causing real, documented property damage -- a current, not merely historical, risk.
- The 52,421-acre Flat Rock Fire burned near Gillette in 2024, a real, significant, documented wildfire event.
- Confirm a specific target property's current wildfire-risk zoning and any applicable defensible-space requirements directly with Campbell County.
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