TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
North SmithfieldGood afternoon
Natural hazards · North Smithfield

North Smithfield, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in North Smithfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1982. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is North Smithfield?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in North Smithfield to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Hurricanes8%Everything else17%
By hazard

What North Smithfield faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 North Smithfield flood?

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

12paid claims since 1982
$270Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 6 claims, $45K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $188K

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. North Smithfield 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 North Smithfield

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into North SmithfieldDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $152K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $220K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

10 households applied for aid $60K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$67K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$113K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$63K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$73K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

120 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $174K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$26K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
2003

Snow

$15K to the Town of North Smithfield for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around North Smithfield

North Smithfield and the towns around it

Lincoln: Low, mostly inland floodingWoonsocket: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingCentral Falls: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Providence: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBlackstone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBellingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingWrentham: Very low, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Low, mostly inland floodingGlocester: Very low, mostly inland floodingThompson: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDouglas: Low, mostly inland floodingPlainville: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Attleborough Town: Low, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Smithfield: Low, mostly inland flooding North SmithfieldLincolnWoonsocketSmithfieldBurrillvilleCumberland
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Burrillvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Woonsocketmostly inland floodingModerate
North Smithfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Cumberlandmostly inland floodingLow
Lincolnmostly inland floodingLow
Smithfieldmostly 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. North Smithfield covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to North Smithfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of North Smithfield. 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 North Smithfield total about $3.4M 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.

The door’s open

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in North Smithfield, RIProvidence CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

North Smithfield is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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