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Natural hazards · Central Falls

Central Falls, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Central Falls comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Central Falls?

40
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Central Falls to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Heat waves9%Cold waves9%Hurricanes6%Earthquakes5%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Central Falls faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Central Falls flood?

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

27paid claims since 1978
$1.4Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 10 claims, $270K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 4 claims, $21K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Central Falls itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Central Falls.

Brought FEMA money into Central FallsDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $41K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $300 aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$26K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$54K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$60K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$25K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $48K aid approved $27K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$23K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
2003

Snow

$8K to the City of Central Falls for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Central Falls

Central Falls and the towns around it

Cumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingPawtucket: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Low, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingWoonsocket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWrentham: Very low, mostly inland floodingPlainville: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Attleborough Town: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Smithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingProvidence: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Providence: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingRehoboth: Low, mostly inland floodingCentral Falls: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Central FallsCumberlandPawtucketLincolnAttleboro
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Central Fallsmostly inland floodingModerate
Cumberlandmostly inland floodingLow
Pawtucketmostly inland floodingLow
Lincolnmostly inland floodingLow
Attleboromostly inland floodingLow
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. Central Falls covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Central Falls’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Central Falls. 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 Central Falls total about $3.2M 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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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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