Blog · October 14, 2026 · Tennessee
Using the Putnam County Flood Zone Map
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Buffalo Valley.
Main page: Putnam County, TN GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Before an offer near Burgess Falls State Park, look at the Putnam County flood zone map: a mapped flood zone changes insurance, permits and resale. In this Putnam County guide: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the Tennessee Property Viewer.
Checking the Putnam County flood zone map step by step
If you're looking near Algood, start with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, then open the map view for that panel. Rural land near Bangham with no street number is still easy to locate: search the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Getting to the right map
Begin with the Tennessee Property Viewer; it maps every assessed parcel from Bloomington Springs to Monterey. When a rural tract has no street number, zoom in from Baxter until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want. On ground around Buffalo Valley, copy the parcel ID from that panel; every records desk in the county will want it.
Taking the map into the field
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, useful out on a road near Algood, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A saved image of the lot near Buffalo Valley and its lines helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Questions to ask before you buy
Near Bloomington Springs, ask the seller for any Elevation Certificate before closing; getting a quote early avoids surprises.
Offices that can help
Anything recorded against property around Algood sit in the index kept by the Register of Deeds, sometimes only in person. Building or septic questions for a lot near Gentry are for the local planning and health departments, town or county, depending on location.
Zones on the Putnam County flood zone map
For acreage around Buffalo Valley, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, which FEMA defines as a 1% annual chance of flooding. If the land is near Bangham, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Parcel lines plus flood zones
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so check the Tennessee Property Viewer too to confirm you have the right parcel near Boma.
Legal descriptions in Tennessee
Older tracts around Buffalo Valley commonly use metes-and-bounds descriptions, a series of courses and distances from a starting point. Platted lots around Monterey usually use lot and block from a recorded plat instead, making them easier to find. Keep the legal description for land near Algood for any title or survey request.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
Out toward Bangham, the map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, subdivision plats and easements for parcels in the county are filed with the Register of Deeds. In and around Burgess Falls State Park, use the document number listed on the parcel record to skip a name search.
A quick look at the area
Cookeville is the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find Algood, Baxter, Monterey, and Bangham, each with its own cluster of lots. Around 83,844 people call Putnam County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 401 square miles. Putnam County dates to 1854, so old deeds can run back a long way. Landmarks such as Burgess Falls State Park help you orient on the aerial.
Water near Boma
Small streams around Gentry aren't always studied in detail, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wetlands near Boma can limit building even outside a flood zone; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Lenders and permits
For a structure inside an A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance in communities in the NFIP, which applies near Cookeville as much as anywhere. Remodeling a house in a zone near Burgess Falls State Park often needs a floodplain permit; check with the county or town building office early.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Putnam County borders Cumberland County, DeKalb County, Fentress County, Jackson County, and Overton County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Baxter may show up in two county records, so check the adjacent map too. Out toward Cookeville, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map for Tennessee.
Quick answers
Is Zone X safe from flooding near Cookeville?
Generally, Zone X near Burgess Falls State Park means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk; FEMA notes that a large share of claims come from these areas.
Why did my flood zone near Monterey change?
For property near Bloomington Springs, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish; check the effective date on the panel.
What is the difference between Zone A and AE for land near Burgess Falls State Park?
Out toward Buffalo Valley, both are high-risk zones, but only AE has a base flood elevation; unnumbered A zones don't list one.
Where can I see the Putnam County flood zone map for free?
It depends, but search the address near Gentry on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and the zone code appears on the map.
Why do offices ask for the parcel ID around Boma?
The parcel ID identifies one tax parcel near Boma; you'll see it in the viewer and on tax statements.
Open the official Putnam County, TN parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.