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Natural hazards · Cumberland

Cumberland, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cumberland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Cumberland?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cumberland to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Hurricanes7%Heat waves6%Cold waves6%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Cumberland faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Heat waves

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

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Cumberland flood?

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

43paid claims since 1979
$3.4Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 12 claims, $1.1M
  • Not a named storm: 10 claims, $161K
  • December Nor'easter: 1 claim, $738K

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. Cumberland 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Cumberland

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CumberlandDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

219 households applied for aid $756K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

189 households applied for aid $621K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

189 households applied for aid $611K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$110K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$120K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$113K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$80K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

628 households applied for aid $629K aid approved $226K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$95K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
2003

Snow

$52K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Cumberland

Cumberland and the towns around it

Lincoln: Low, mostly inland floodingCentral Falls: Moderate, 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 floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Providence: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPawtucket: Low, mostly inland floodingBlackstone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBellingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Town: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorfolk: Very low, mostly inland floodingFoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRehoboth: Low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland flooding CumberlandLincolnCentral FallsWoonsocketWrenthamPlainvilleNorth Attleborough TownNorth SmithfieldAttleboro
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Woonsocketmostly inland floodingModerate
Central Fallsmostly inland floodingModerate
North Smithfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Cumberlandmostly inland floodingLow
Lincolnmostly inland floodingLow
Attleboromostly inland floodingLow
North Attleborough Townmostly inland floodingLow
Wrenthammostly inland floodingVery low
Plainvillemostly 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. Cumberland covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cumberland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Cumberland. 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 Cumberland total about $7.8M 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/15 · 2025-01-01
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