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Flood in Putnam County, Indiana
60 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Putnam County, Indiana, has 60 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 20 different years.
June is the busiest month, with 16 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 23 events against 37 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1% of the 6,083 flood events recorded in Indiana; its 12.5 per 100 square miles compares with 17.0 statewide.
Compared with Indiana
| Measure | Putnam County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 60 | 6,083 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 12.5 | 17.0 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 16.2 | 8.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 83 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | June | June | June |
By year
Seasonality
8Feb
7Mar
2Apr
4May
7Jun
16Jul
5Aug
2Sep
6Oct
2Nov
1Dec
0
Recorded events
All 60 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2026 | Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2025 | Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | $2K | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | $1K | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $1K | $500 | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2014 | Flood | — | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 2014 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | $1K | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2013 | Flood | — | $500 | $500 | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Flood | — | $500 | $500 | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Flood | — | $500 | $500 | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | $1K | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2009 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $500K | $300K | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Mar 2008 | Flood | — | $12K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2005 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 May 2004 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jan 2004 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flash Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Sep 2003 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 2002 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 6 Jun 2001 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Feb 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 30 Jan 2001 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Oct 2000 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 5 Oct 2000 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2000 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Apr 2000 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Feb 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Feb 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Feb 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | $33K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | $33K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 21 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | $63K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 17 Jan 1999 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 14 Jun 1998 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 27 Feb 1997 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 4 May 1996 | Flood | — | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has Putnam County had?
60 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in Putnam County?
18 May 2026 (Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Putnam County?
The flash flood of 1 Sep 2003, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $1.0M.
How does Putnam County compare with Indiana for flood?
12.5 events per 100 square miles against 17.0 statewide; the county holds 60 of the state's 6,083 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Flood hub and the county page.