SinkholeOdds

Sinkhole risk in Putnam County, NY: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock
4%
At or near the surface
0%
Buried under cover
4%

What to do about a house in Putnam County

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 10 of Putnam County's 230 square miles on soluble rock. With about 98,409 residents (427 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 295 map points about 0.9 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Putnam County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Union County, PA, about 175 miles west. 6 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Stockbridge Marble (marble), Cambrian - Lower Ordovician in age, covering about 3% of the county. Next is the Inwood Marble at 1%.

Against the rest of New York

Putnam County ranks 42 of 62 in New York for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.