5 flood insurance claims·$21,863 paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Putnam County, Georgia. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding and tropical storms dominate the recorded flood history in Putnam County, Georgia. According to NOAA Storm Events Database records from the last 30 years, the county experienced 16 flash flood events, 15 tropical storm events, 5 general flood events, and 2 hurricane events.
Recent history illustrates these threats. During a prolonged weather pattern from March 25 through March 28, 2023, extreme rainfall brought a swath of 4 or more inches of rain—with isolated amounts above 10 inches—causing flash flooding across portions of the state. On October 6, 2021, a moist airmass produced heavy rainfall of 1.5 to 3 inches with pockets of 4 to 8 inches, resulting in flash flooding reports in areas including Eatonton.
Federal Emergency Management Agency insurance claims data reflects historical payouts across different zones. In moderate-to-low risk Zone X, 4 claims were filed with an average payout of $10,932 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. In higher-risk Zone A, 1 claim was filed with an average payout of $0 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents working with properties located in both Zone A and Zone X should pay close attention to these historical flood patterns.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
The worst year was 2009, with 2 claims and $2,370 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
19 NOAA storm reports from Putnam County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Georgia flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Hurricane Helene | Sep 24, 2024 |
| Hurricane Michael | Oct 9, 2018 |
| Hurricane Irma | Sep 7, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Jan 21, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Feb 10, 2014 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 27, 2005 |
| Tropical Storm Frances | Sep 3, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
38 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 26, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2021 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 29, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 11, 2017 | $75,000 |
| Flash Flood | Dec 30, 2015 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 19, 2013 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Mar 26, 2023. A prolonged, active weather pattern persisted across Georgia through late March, culminating in a series of disturbances that impacted the region March 25th through March 28th. In addition to numerous reports of damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes, extreme rainfall amounts caused flash flooding over portions of the state. A swath of 4 or more inches of rain stretched from LaGrange, to Forsyth, to Augusta, wit…
Flash Flood · Oct 6, 2021. A very moist and marginally unstable airmass ahead of a deep upper-level low over the lower Mississippi Valley resulted one report of a tree down and several flash flooding reports over middle Georgia. Heavy rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 3 inches were observed along a line from Thomaston to Gray to Eatonton to Comer, with pockets of higher amounts between 4 and 8 inches.
Tropical Storm · Oct 29, 2020. During the late evening of October 28th through the morning of October 29th, Tropical Storm Zeta swept rapidly across north Georgia producing widespread wind damage and isolated flooding across north and portions of central Georgia. Around 1.5 million customers lost electricity for some period of time, some for several days.
Flash Flood · Feb 6, 2020. A line of thunderstorms ahead of a strong cold front moved into northwest Georgia in the pre-dawn hours and swept across north and central Georgia through the morning into the afternoon producing numerous reports of damaging thunderstorm winds and an isolated tornado. Storms along the front also produced heavy rainfall, ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches, with higher amounts up to 6 inches, particularly over north Georg…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Putnam County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.