TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
ScituateGood morning
Natural hazards · Scituate

Scituate, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Scituate comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 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 Scituate?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Scituate to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Hurricanes10%Heat waves6%Cold waves6%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Scituate faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% 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

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Scituate flood?

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

31paid claims since 1982
$711Kpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 15 claims, $544K
  • December Nor'easter: 4 claims, $85K
  • Not a named storm: 2 claims, $27K

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. Scituate 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 Scituate

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ScituateDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $120K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $106K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

6 households applied for aid $27K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$66K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$79K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$48K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$45K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

37 households applied for aid $44K aid approved $250K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$27K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
2003

Snow

$16K to the Town of Scituate for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Scituate

Scituate and the towns around it

Foster: Low, mostly inland floodingCranston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Low, mostly inland floodingCoventry: Low, mostly inland floodingGlocester: Very low, mostly inland floodingKillingly: High, mostly inland floodingSterling: High, mostly inland floodingWarwick: Low, mostly inland floodingProvidence: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Warwick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Providence: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Providence: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Greenwich: Very low, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingScituate: Low, mostly inland flooding ScituateFosterCranstonJohnstonCoventryGlocester
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Cranstonmostly inland floodingModerate
Johnstonmostly inland floodingLow
Coventrymostly inland floodingLow
Scituatemostly inland floodingLow
Fostermostly inland floodingLow
Glocestermostly 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. Scituate covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Scituate’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Scituate. 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 Scituate total about $2.2M 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Scituate, RIProvidence CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Scituate 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