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Natural hazards · Woonsocket

Woonsocket, RI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Woonsocket comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 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 Woonsocket?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Woonsocket to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Hurricanes6%Heat waves6%Cold waves6%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Woonsocket faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times 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

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% 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 windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Woonsocket flood?

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

8paid claims since 1979
$247Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • December Nor'easter: 2 claims, $180K
  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $3K
  • March 2010 Nor'easter: 1 claim, $27K

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. Woonsocket 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 Woonsocket

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WoonsocketDeclared for Providence County only
2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

42 households applied for aid $125K aid approved
2023

Severe Storm and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $141K aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

17 households applied for aid $65K aid approved
2022

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$138K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2015

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$223K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$108K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2011

Tropical Storm Irene

$46K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

166 households applied for aid $144K aid approved $86K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2005

Record Snow

$139K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
2003

Snow

$67K to the City of Woonsocket for repairs
Providence County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.
Around Woonsocket

Woonsocket and the towns around it

North Smithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingCumberland: Low, mostly inland floodingBlackstone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBellingham: Very low, mostly inland floodingWrentham: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Low, mostly inland floodingSmithfield: Low, mostly inland floodingBurrillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCentral Falls: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlainville: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorth Attleborough Town: Low, mostly inland floodingAttleboro: Low, mostly inland floodingMillville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMendon: Low, mostly inland floodingHopedale: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin Town: Very low, mostly inland floodingMedway: Low, mostly inland floodingMilford: Low, mostly inland floodingNorfolk: Very low, mostly inland floodingFoxborough: Very low, mostly inland floodingWoonsocket: Moderate, mostly inland flooding WoonsocketNorth SmithfieldCumberlandBlackstoneBellinghamWrentham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Blackstonemostly inland floodingModerate
Woonsocketmostly inland floodingModerate
North Smithfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Cumberlandmostly inland floodingLow
Bellinghammostly inland floodingVery low
Wrenthammostly 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. Woonsocket covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Woonsocket’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Woonsocket. 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 Woonsocket total about $9.7M 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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