FEMA Records
11
Low volume
Illinois · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Putnam County, IL
11 FEMA disaster declarations (1979-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Snowstorm.
- 11
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 9
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Snowstorm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Putnam County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 11 declarations, more than 12% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 14% below the Illinois county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county safer than 9%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Safer than 9%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 11
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 66
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Putnam County compare?
Putnam County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
11 12th percentile higher than 12% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Putnam County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Illinois county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Putnam County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $2.5M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Drought carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Putnam County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 66 paid claims, totaling $1.1M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $16.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Illinois county averages 12.9 federal declaration records, while Putnam County has 11. The gap is 14% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Putnam County's 11 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Illinois, however, the count is 14% below the county mean. 6 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Snowstorm, appearing 4 times. The full 41-year record averages 0.3 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 9.2/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.7M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Relatively Low) and community resilience (Relatively High). Even the county's top-rated hazard, Drought, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 8.9 modeled event-days per year here, based on 231 historical events on record.
46 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Putnam County, IL · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
8/30
11 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.5x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
11 declarations (0.9x state county average of 13)
Major Disaster Share High
14/25
6 of 11 declarations are major disasters (55%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Putnam County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Illinois Avg
-14%
State avg: 12.9
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 41 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Putnam County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
55%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
9
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Putnam County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Low | 8.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 22 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 5.4 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 675 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 5.1 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 3.7 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 15 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 44 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 13,612 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Snowstorm 4
Biological 2
Flood 2
Severe Storm 2
Hurricane 1
What Snowstorm declarations mean here
Snowstorm is the most frequent declaration type on Putnam County's record, 36% of its declarations. Snow-related declarations work on a narrower basis than most other hazards: they are generally issued to reimburse the cost of snow removal and emergency protective measures, rather than to repair destroyed property.
The qualifying test is unusual too. FEMA assesses snowfall against record levels for the affected area, so the same storm total can qualify in a county where it is historically extreme and not qualify a few hundred miles north where it is an ordinary winter. A low snowstorm declaration count is therefore not evidence of mild winters.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 6 54.5%
of all 11 declarations
Emergency - 5 45.5%
of all 11 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 11 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 11 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4489 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-26 |
| 3435 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4116 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-05-10 |
| 1960 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2011-03-17 |
| 3269 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2006-12-29 |
| 3230 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1513 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-04-23 |
| 3134 | IL-WINTER STORM 1/1/99 | EM | Snowstorm | 1999-01-08 |
| 674 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1982-12-13 |
| 583 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1979-04-30 |
| 3068 | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1979-01-16 |
Storm Events in Illinois
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Putnam County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,218 | 9 | 67 | $46.0M |
| Hail | 3,195 | 0 | 0 | $27.1M |
| Winter Weather | 1,363 | 14 | 49 | $1.8M |
| Flood | 1,221 | 14 | 11 | $84.3M |
| Flash Flood | 1,133 | 11 | 3 | $1.1B |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
66
Total Paid
$1.1M
Avg Per Claim
$16.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 9.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Drought Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Hail Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Drought
Drought is the slowest of the modeled hazards and the least visible: it does its damage to agriculture, water supply and soil over seasons rather than hours, so it rarely produces the kind of single-day damage that drives a disaster declaration. FEMA scores it in event-days per year rather than discrete events for exactly that reason.
Worth noting for Putnam County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Drought carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Low), while the county's declaration history is led by Snowstorm. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Putnam County's closest FEMA peer: Weber County, UT
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Putnam County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Putnam County shows 11 FEMA declarations, led by Snowstorm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Putnam County: 6 of 11 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Putnam County: NRI composite 9.2 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Putnam County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Putnam County's NFIP claims file (66 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Putnam County?
The most common disaster type in Putnam County is Snowstorm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Flood (2), Severe Storm (2).
How does Putnam County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Illinois average?
The typical Illinois county has 12.9 FEMA declaration records; Putnam County has 11, or 14% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 47% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Putnam County received?
Putnam County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 55% of all 11 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Putnam County filed?
Putnam County has 66 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $1.1M in payments, with an average of $16.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Putnam County?
No. In Putnam County, Drought has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $2.5M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Putnam County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Putnam County was 1979, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1979 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Putnam County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Putnam County, Illinois has an overall risk score of 9.2 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Putnam County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Putnam County as of the latest release is Drought (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Very Low) and Strong Wind (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts drought here at 8.9 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 231 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Putnam County
Against a Illinois county mean of 13 declarations, Putnam County, IL records 11, or 14% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (6 of 11) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Illinois overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 12% of recorded county totals, but its own Illinois benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- Use the data guide to separate this mid-volume insurance-claims file from declaration counts and modeled NRI risk. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.