TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
ProvidenceGood evening
Natural hazards · Providence

Providence, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Providence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 289 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 Providence?

37
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Providence to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Heat waves8%Hurricanes7%Cold waves6%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Providence faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 30% 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 Providence flood?

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

289paid claims since 1978
$13.8Mpaid to owners
26homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 62 claims, $1.6M
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 44 claims, $3.0M
  • Hurricane Ida: 1 claim, $500K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Providence 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

1buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters that hit Providence

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ProvidenceDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

338 households applied for aid $833K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

171 households applied for aid $374K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

196 households applied for aid $368K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$907K to the City of Providence for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$592K to the City of Providence for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$594K to the City of Providence for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$854K to the City of Providence for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

920 households applied for aid $814K aid approved $534K to the City of Providence for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$382K to the City of Providence for repairs
2003

Snow

$182K to the City of Providence for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Providence

Providence and the towns around it

East Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Low, mostly inland floodingCranston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Providence: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPawtucket: Low, mostly inland floodingSeekonk: Very low, mostly inland floodingBarrington: Low, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Low, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingScituate: Low, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Warwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Low, mostly inland floodingCentral Falls: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingProvidence: Low, mostly inland flooding ProvidenceEast ProvidenceJohnstonCranstonNorth ProvidencePawtucket
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
North Providencemostly inland floodingModerate
Cranstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Providencemostly inland floodingLow
Johnstonmostly inland floodingLow
Pawtucketmostly inland floodingLow
East Providencemostly 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. Providence covers 42 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Providence’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Providence. 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 Providence total about $33.5M 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 porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Providence, RIView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Providence 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/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map