How much flood risk does Putnam County actually carry?
Putnam County lands at the 48.1th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Low" territory — below the national norm for flood hazard — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.6 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
11.9% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Putnam County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 28 policies against 235 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Putnam County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Putnam County ranks
Putnam County sits at rank 1694 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1245 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Putnam County, Indiana covers 480.536 square miles and counts roughly 37,804 residents.
Checking a specific address in Putnam County
Across all of Putnam County's 15,450 residential structures, 35 carry an NFIP policy today — a county-wide count that still can't tell you one address's own mapped zone.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Putnam County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.