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Natural hazards · Barrington

Barrington, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Barrington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 314 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Barrington?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Barrington to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and coastal flooding.

Inland flooding63%Coastal flooding15%Hurricanes9%Everything else13%
By hazard

What Barrington faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Coastal flooding

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Barrington flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Barrington, from FEMA’s records.

314paid claims since 1978
$2.1Mpaid to owners
15homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 136 claims, $695K
  • Hurricane Sandy: 21 claims, $463K
  • Hurricane Bob: 18 claims, $114K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Barrington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bristol County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Barrington

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Barrington itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Barrington.

Brought FEMA money into BarringtonDeclared for Bristol County only
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$68K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$46K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$76K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

$80K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$310K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

685 households applied for aid $602K aid approved $119K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$33K to the Town of Barrington for repairs
Bristol County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and winter storms.
Around Barrington

Barrington and the towns around it

Warren: Very low, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingBristol: Very low, mostly inland floodingPortsmouth: Very low, mostly inland floodingSwansea: Very low, mostly inland floodingCranston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Kingstown: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Warwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Greenwich: Low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingProvidence: Low, mostly inland floodingPawtucket: Low, mostly inland floodingTiverton: Very low, mostly inland floodingMiddletown: Very low, mostly inland floodingJamestown: Very low, mostly inland floodingLittle Compton: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Low, mostly inland flooding BarringtonWarrenWarwickEast ProvidenceBristolPortsmouth
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Barringtonmostly inland floodingLow
Warwickmostly inland floodingLow
Warrenmostly inland floodingVery low
East Providencemostly inland floodingVery low
Portsmouthmostly inland floodingVery low
Bristolmostly inland floodingVery low
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Barrington covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Barrington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Barrington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Barrington total about $4.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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You’re in Barrington, RIBristol CountyView boundary

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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