Natural disaster risk in Putnam County, Florida
Florida · population 73,208 · FIPS 12107
Overall: relatively low risk
Putnam County has a composite risk score of 79.7 out of 100 — higher than 79% of US counties. It ranks 41 of 67 in Florida (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, wildfire.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, at least 54 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 17.28% of Putnam County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in Putnam County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 79.7 |
| Expected annual loss About $29.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 71.9 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 79.7 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 13.2 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Putnam County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively high 93 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 83 |
| Wildfire | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 77 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 66 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively low 60 |
| Drought | Relatively low 36 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 28 |
| Earthquake | Very low 49 |
| Landslide | Very low 28 |
| Hail | Very low 14 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Ice storm | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
| Winter weather | No rating |
FEMA disaster declarations for Putnam County
Federal declarations that designated Putnam County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Putnam County has been named in 6 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is FM-5631-FL (Railroad Complex Fire), declared 22 Apr 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FM-5631-FL | Fire management | Railroad Complex Fire | 22 Apr 2026 | No |
| DR-4834-FL | Major disaster | Hurricane Milton | 11 Oct 2024 | Yes |
| EM-3622-FL | Emergency | Hurricane Milton | 7 Oct 2024 | No |
| DR-4828-FL | Major disaster | Hurricane Helene | 28 Sep 2024 | Yes |
| DR-4806-FL | Major disaster | Hurricane Debby | 10 Aug 2024 | No |
| EM-3605-FL | Emergency | Tropical Storm Debby | 3 Aug 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Florida, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Putnam County, Florida?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Putnam County as relatively low, with a score of 79.7 out of 100 (higher than 79% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Putnam County?
The hazards rated highest for Putnam County are hurricane (relatively high), lightning (relatively high), wildfire (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Putnam County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Putnam County as relatively moderate, and coastal flooding risk as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Putnam County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Putnam County has been named in 6 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is FM-5631-FL (Railroad Complex Fire), declared 22 Apr 2026.
Is Putnam County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 17.28% of Putnam County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
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