Putnam County, Illinois: hazard risk
FEMA rates Putnam County's overall risk Very Low (score 9.2 of 100, higher than 9% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 373 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.8 | $346K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.8 | $463K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $622K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.1 | $483K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.4 | $1K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 39.9 | $159K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 20.4 | $17K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 19.6 | $2.5M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.4 | $61K |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.3 | $54K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 12.6 | $10K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.5 | $1K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.2 | $24K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 4.4 | $1K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 126 | 0 | $86K | 1st of 102 | 38th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 94 | 0 | $7.5M | 8th of 102 | 420th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 64 | 0 | $124K | 4th of 102 | 252nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $100K | 19th of 102 | 123rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | $9.1M | 8th of 102 | 356th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 14 | 0 | $84K | 53rd of 102 | 1032nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $16M | 14th of 102 | 204th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $184K | 26th of 102 | 670th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 53rd of 102 | 752nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 29th of 102 | 731st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Putnam County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.