23 flood insurance claims·$499,430 paid·1 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, Indiana. 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.
Putnam County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by riverine floods and flash flooding from slow-moving summer thunderstorms.
Recent history illustrates these localized hazards, including a flash flood on June 12, 2022, when storms tracking along the I-74 corridor produced a road washout in northwestern Putnam County. Another heavy rainfall event on August 13, 2016, produced flash flooding reports as bands of showers and thunderstorms moved across central Indiana.
NFIP claim records reflect financial impacts across different zones. Properties in Zone A experienced 15 claims with an average recorded water depth of 4 inches and an average payout of $24,188. Meanwhile, properties in Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims with an average water depth of 12 inches and an average payout of $176,053. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within designated Zone A high-risk areas, as well as unshaded Zone X properties that have shown potential for significant localized water depths during severe storms.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 4 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 6 claims and $193,030 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.
11 NOAA storm reports from Putnam County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1990, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 5, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 30, 2008 |
| Snow | Feb 12, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Jan 1, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Jul 3, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
59 since 1996: 25 flash floods and 34 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 14, 2025 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 13, 2016 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2015 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2015 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2014 | $500 |
| Flood | Aug 23, 2014 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 14, 2025. Multiple rounds of slow-moving storms impacted much of north central Indiana during the late overnight and morning hours of June 14th with rain totals as high as 6 inches. Numerous roads were closed with the most severe flooding noted on the south side of Kokomo. This flooding led to minor flooding along the Wildcat creek basin and the upper Wabash and upper White rivers.
Flash Flood · Apr 5, 2025. The final round of rain in a stretch of 4 days brought rain amounts of 2-4.5 inches of rain to central Indiana in addition to the 3-5 inches that had fallen. This led to additional widespread flash flooding and exacerbated ongoing creek and river flooding to a point that many main stem rivers ended up reaching major flood stage.
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 2022. West-northwesterly winds along a slowly-advancing warm frontal zone promoted the ample bulk shear and copious instability that produced numerous morning showers and thunderstorms. Storms tracked eastward along the I-74 corridor, producing isolated large hail, and later isolated wind damage and flash flooding. A road was washed-out in a possible microburst over northwestern Putnam County. All severe cells occurr…
Flash Flood · Aug 13, 2016. Bands of showers and thunderstorms, oriented from southwest to northeast, affected portions of central Indiana during the late morning through mid-afternoon of August 13th. Heavy downpours produced a couple flash flooding reports during the early to mid-afternoon timeframe.
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.