1 flood insurance claims·$3,122 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, Missouri. 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 from severe weather events dominates the flood character of Putnam County, Missouri. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 22 flash flood events compared to just 1 general flood event.
Severe storms and heavy rainfall are capable of producing widespread flash flooding across the region, as demonstrated by storms occurring in May 2019 that brought severe weather and morning flash floods through northern Missouri.
National Flood Insurance Program records show limited claims history, with a single claim logged in Zone X resulting in an average payout of $3,122 and an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Because the primary hazard stems from intense precipitation and rapid runoff rather than persistent riverine flooding, homeowners and real estate agents should pay close attention to properties vulnerable to sudden stormwater accumulation during severe weather events, regardless of whether a structure sits outside mapped high-risk river flood zones.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
6 NOAA storm reports from Putnam County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Missouri flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 29, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | May 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Sep 9, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 29, 2013 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 31, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 12, 2010 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 22 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 28, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2010 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2009 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2008 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2008 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 28, 2019. Widespread severe weather moved through the region on May 28. One supercell produced several tornadoes, including the Lawrence to Linwood, Kansas tornado. This storm then went on to produce an EF-2 tornado in northeastern Clay County and did damage to portions of Kearney, Missouri. Earlier in the day, through the morning and early afternoon hours several storms moved through northern Missouri causing widespread fl…
Flood · Apr 5, 2017. Widespread moderate to heavy rain resulted in numerous roads across northern Missouri to be flooded. Impacts were rather low, as most of these closures were soon resolved once the water receded.
Flash Flood · Jun 24, 2015. Widespread wind, hail, and flooding occurred, starting overnight on the 24th into the 25th. While flooding was the biggest problem, mainly in Missouri for the morning of the 25th, severe weather moved in and brought a wide area of severe reports across the area.
Flash Flood · Jun 3, 2014. Several lines of storms erupted over northern Missouri into southeastern Nebraska and tracked southeast producing widespread severe weather in northern and northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. The multiple rounds of storms also produced widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with some areas reporting as much as 5 inches of rain.
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.