Putnam County, Missouri · Unionville
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Putnam County averages 50 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly November to March, and 30% of its homes predate 1960.
Heavy rain days of an inch or more come about 7.6 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 7.6 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 93 freeze-thaw days a year, from winter ice dams. Most show up as ceiling stains in the room below.
38% of occupied homes in Putnam County heat mainly with wood or propane, above the Missouri county median of 24.5%.
Muggy summer nights, lows of 65°F or more, come about 38 times a year in Putnam County. Mold after a leak spreads fastest from June through August.
Local risk profile
About 4,642 people live in Putnam County, 517 square miles in northern Missouri, in roughly 2,834 homes. The county seat is Unionville, and Powersville, Lucerne and Worthington round out the largest towns. The county's median home was built in 1976.
49/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Elevated Putnam County ranks 65 of 114 Missouri counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Putnam County ranks highest compared with other Missouri counties.
Putnam is on the colder side of Missouri for pipes. In the 2015–2024 record the county logged about 50 nights a year at or below 20°F (1st of 114) and 126 below freezing. Twenty degrees is roughly where uninsulated pipes start to freeze.
On January 1, 2018 the low fell to about -18°F, and in the stretch ending January 2018 the county went 16 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 20 and the last spring freeze around Apr 21.
Putnam gets fewer downpours than most Missouri counties, but they still fill basements. About 7.6 days a year bring an inch or more (113th of 114), most often in July, out of 38.1 inches of total precipitation. On May 29, 2019, 4.41 inches fell in a single day. Multi-day storms matter most for basements; the wettest three days on record here totaled 4.81 inches (through May 29, 2019).
About 93 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
Missouri's 114 counties range widely in housing age; Putnam ranks 46th, with 57% of its homes built before 1980.
Before 1960 is when 30% of these homes went up. Galvanized supply lines and cast iron drains were standard then, and after 60-plus years both corrode and crack, often out of sight inside a wall or under a slab.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 10% 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.
37% of homes were vacant at survey time. A leak in an empty rental or seasonal house can run for days before anyone notices, which is why those losses tend to be larger.
Beyond water
About 38 nights a year in Putnam County stay at 65°F or warmer, a sign of muggy summer air (114th of 114 counties). May 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 33% utility gas, 28% electric, 34% propane and 4% wood. Propane heat is above the Missouri 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
Putnam gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. All of its neighbors see more heavy-rain days. Sullivan County has the oldest housing nearby, with 69% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Putnam | Missouri median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 30% | 25% | 45 of 114 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 57% | 53% | 46 of 114 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 22% | 21% | 54 of 114 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 9.7% | 9.8% | 60 of 114 |
| Vacant homes | 37% | 15% | 4 of 114 |
| Wood or propane heat | 38% | 25% | 26 of 114 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 50/yr | 28/yr | 1 of 114 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 7.6/yr | 10/yr | 113 of 114 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 93/yr | 77/yr | 1 of 114 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 38/yr | 65/yr | 114 of 114 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Missouri 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 July, August and October.
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