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Continental, Ohio
Inside Continental's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 94% of mapped land, higher than 83% of Ohio cities. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 93%, the 3rd-highest of 15 cities in Putnam County.
That water-table share is close to Putnam County's 96%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 45831 overlapping the city. Of its 667 homes, 62% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1967.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Putnam County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Continental
Basement waterproofing in Continental: a shallow water table limits basements on 94% of Continental's mapped land, more than in 83% of Ohio cities.
About 600 of Continental's 667 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Continental city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 92.6% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 93.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 93.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 7.2% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 90.8% |
| Mapped soil | 784 acres |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 7.2% by land area here, and 91% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 93% of the mapped land.
On 94% of Continental's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Putnam County
0% of Putnam County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Continental. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45831 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Continental
| Housing units | 667 |
| Median year built | 1967 |
| Built before 1980 | 62% |
| Built 2000 or later | 10% |
| Owner-occupied | 90% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $161,500 |
| Single-family detached | 85% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dupont | 3 mi | 34% | 93% |
| Oakwood | 5 mi | 92% | 95% |
| Cloverdale | 6 mi | 93% | 98% |
| Miller City | 7 mi | 94% | 95% |
| Melrose | 8 mi | 92% | 93% |
| New Bavaria | 9 mi | 83% | 95% |
| Kalida | 9 mi | 39% | 90% |
| Glandorf | 12 mi | 45% | 93% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status