Natural hazards · Putnam

Putnam, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Putnam comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2006.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Putnam?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Putnam to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes22%Cold waves11%Strong wind7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Putnam faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Putnam flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Putnam, from FEMA’s records.

4paid claims since 2006

$72Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20062026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Putnam isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Livingston County.

Disasters that hit Putnam

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Livingston County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Putnam itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into PutnamDeclared for Livingston County only

Livingston County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Putnam

Putnam and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dextermostly inland floodingLow

Putnammostly inland floodingLow

Hamburgmostly inland floodingLow

Unadillamostly inland floodingLow

Marionmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Putnam covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Putnam’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Putnam. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Putnam total about $2.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.