Putnam County, Indiana · Greencastle
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Putnam County averages 35 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 28% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 8 times a year here, most often in July. A sump pump that hasn't run since last season is a common weak point.
Backups often follow heavy rain, which Putnam County gets about 8 days a year, when storm water overloads sewer mains and pushes up through the lowest drain in the house.
Roof leaks here come from summer downpours and, with about 85 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
29% of occupied homes in Putnam County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Indiana county median of 17%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 35 times a year in Putnam County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 37,280 people live in Putnam County, 481 square miles in central Indiana, in roughly 15,268 homes. The county seat is Greencastle, and Heritage Lake, Cloverdale and Putnamville round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1981.
48/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Putnam County ranks 56 of 92 Indiana counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Putnam County ranks highest compared with other Indiana counties.
Putnam is on the colder side of Indiana for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 35 nights a year at or below 20°F (30th of 92) and 109 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 31, 2019 the low fell to about -14°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 14 days in a row below freezing. Leaks from split pipes typically appear the day the thaw arrives.
Most freezing nights fall from November to March, peaking in January. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off outdoor spigots before the first hard frost, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher if you'll be away.
On average the first fall freeze arrives around Oct 23 and the last spring freeze around Apr 18.
Rainfall is about average for Indiana. About 8 days a year bring an inch or more (44th of 92), most often in July, out of 43.3 inches of total precipitation. On June 19, 2021, 2.65 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.62 inches (through September 9, 2018).
About 85 days a year swing from below freezing at night to above freezing by day. Those freeze-thaw cycles feed ice dams on roofs, open cracks in foundations and driveways, and stress pipes that are already marginal.
Housing
Indiana's 92 counties range widely in housing age; Putnam ranks 69th, with 49% of its homes built before 1980.
Housing age is mixed: 28% of homes are pre-1960 and 19% are 2000 or newer. Ask any plumber which era your house is from and you'll know which failures to watch for.
The 1980s and 1990s account for 32% of the county's homes. If yours is from those decades, look under the sinks and at the water heater for gray plastic pipe stamped PB, which is polybutylene and leak-prone.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 8% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
Beyond water
About 35 nights a year in Putnam County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (56th of 92 counties). July is the wettest month. Keep indoor humidity under 60%, as the EPA advises, and dry any leak within 24 to 48 hours; in a humid month a wet basement left alone won't dry by itself.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Putnam County homes break down as 24% utility gas, 42% electric, 23% propane and 6% wood. Wood and propane heat are above the Indiana norm. Annual chimney and vent inspection, which the NFPA recommends, is one of the most effective fire-prevention habits for these homes.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Putnam County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Montgomery gets more pipe-freeze nights than Putnam. Montgomery County has the oldest housing nearby, with 66% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Putnam | Indiana median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 28% | 35% | 63 of 92 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 49% | 58% | 69 of 92 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 19% | 18% | 40 of 92 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 7.8% | 6.4% | 34 of 92 |
| Vacant homes | 7.4% | 9.2% | 63 of 92 |
| Wood or propane heat | 29% | 17% | 16 of 92 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 35/yr | 33/yr | 30 of 92 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 8/yr | 7.8/yr | 44 of 92 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 85/yr | 84/yr | 30 of 92 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 35/yr | 38/yr | 56 of 92 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Indiana county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Putnam County: freezing from November to March, heavy rain in April, June and July.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology