Blog · October 14, 2026 · Montana
Using the Toole County Flood Zone Map
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Sunburst.
Main page: Toole County, MT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any purchase around Shelby, look at the Toole County flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, permits and resale. This county guide covers: the free FEMA tools, what each zone label means, lender insurance rules and what a LOMA is, at least around Kevin.
Getting started with the Toole County flood zone map
If you'd rather pan and zoom, try the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, where zone shading sits over a photo base, which applies near Sweet Grass as much as anywhere. A tract near Shelby without an address can still be found: search the nearest road and click inside the land.
Pulling up a parcel
Begin with the Montana Cadastral; it covers every tax parcel in the county, Shelby included. When a rural tract has no street number, pan along the nearest road and click the parcel itself, for land near Hillside Colony included. For a tract near Sweet Grass, write down the parcel ID before closing the panel; each office in the county asks for it first.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Shelby may not have detailed mapping, so ask neighbors about past flooding. Wetlands near Ethridge can limit building even outside a flood zone; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
On site with the map
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Sunburst, though signal can drop in rural spots. A saved image of the lot near Camrose Colony and its lines helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Limits of the parcel data
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; just a licensed surveyor sets the real corners on land around Hillside Colony. In and around Shelby, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month can take weeks to appear.
Backing up the map with records
Before you sign anything, get the recorded deed from the County Clerk and Recorder; the viewer just points to it, whether the land is near Sweet Grass or elsewhere in the county. For property near Sweet Grass, have ready the document number listed on the parcel record and the lookup takes minutes.
A quick look at the area
Shelby serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find Kevin, Sunburst, Camrose Colony, and Hillside Colony. Around 5,133 people live in Toole County (Census estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 1,915 square miles. The county was organized in 1914, and some chains of title near Ethridge are long. Features like Marias River are easy to spot when you zoom out.
What the zone letters mean
For a parcel near Shelby, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, meaning a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. For a parcel near Camrose Colony, a shaded X area is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
Neighboring parcel maps
Toole County borders Glacier County, Liberty County, and Pondera County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Hillside Colony may show up in two county records, so open the adjacent map too. For a tract near Rimrock Colony, our state page links every bordering county map for Montana.
What to request from a seller
For a parcel near Kevin, ask the seller for any Elevation Certificate before closing; getting a quote early keeps the budget honest.
Sections, lots and bearings
Montana uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Marias River reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Marias River can be irregular. Keep the legal description for land near Sunburst before you request a deed or survey.
Who handles what
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near Ethridge are with the County Clerk and Recorder, sometimes only in person. Questions about what you can build around Ethridge are for the local planning and health departments, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Lining it up with the parcel map
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so open the Montana Cadastral next for the outline of the tract near Kevin.
Lenders and permits
On ground around Kevin, get the Elevation Certificate if one exists: it records the building's elevation against the base flood. New construction in a floodplain near Shelby often needs a floodplain permit; call the permitting office early.
Questions about the Toole County flood zone map
What is a base flood elevation in Toole County?
If you're looking near Marias River, the BFE is printed in AE zones on FEMA's map, and an Elevation Certificate compares the building to it.
When is flood insurance required in Toole County?
If the land is near Camrose Colony, it's typically required only for structures in high-risk zones with federally backed loans, in communities that take part in the NFIP.
How often are flood maps updated in Toole County?
Around Camrose Colony, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish, so look at the panel date.
What does Zone AE mean near Kevin?
On ground around Hillside Colony, AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area with a published base flood elevation; unnumbered A zones don't list one.
What's a legal description in Toole County?
For a home near Camrose Colony, deeds use lot and block, metes and bounds or survey descriptions; copy it for any survey or title request.
Open the official Toole County, MT parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.