66 flood insurance claims·$994,598 paid·2 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, Illinois. 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.
17% of Putnam County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
42 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 8 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2013, with 13 claims and $578,013 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Putnam County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Illinois flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1979, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Snow | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Apr 20, 2004 |
| Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Jan 1, 1999 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Dec 13, 1982 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 30, 1979 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
14 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 29, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2008 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 9, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 30, 2004 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 25, 2020. A warm front brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to eastern Iowa, northeast Missouri, and Illinois the evening of May 25th, 2020. Flash flooding, and damaging winds were reported.
Flash Flood · Jun 10, 2018. After an early morning flash flood event in eastern Iowa, with some damaging winds near the Mississippi River into far northwest Illinois, a line of slow moving supercell thunderstorms moved southeast from northern Iowa, into portions of eastern Iowa the evening of June 9th. Damaging winds, large hail, a few tornadoes, and torrential rain accompanied the storms.
Flash Flood · Apr 29, 2017. Scattered rain showers moved across western Illinois Saturday evening, as an area of low pressure intensified over southeast Oklahoma and northeast Texas. This low pressure brought a surge of moisture and heavy rainfall across the region Saturday afternoon, producing rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches across western Illinois. This combined with already saturated conditions led to flash flooding in McDonough and Put…
Flash Flood · Jun 10, 2015. In the afternoon hours June 10, a slow moving intense supercell thunderstorm brought very large hail, strong winds, and flash flooding to Putnam county Illinois.
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.