Rhode Island Environment & Hazard Risk
0 counties rated high or very high risk. 2,410 storm events since 1996, #51 among states.
- Expected yearly loss
- $217M
- $198 per person
- Storm events since 1996
- 2,410
- Most often strong wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 8,360
- $139M in claims paid
- Superfund sites
- 13
- 80 toxic release facilities
Risk by county
FEMA National Risk Index rating, highest risk first
| County | Overall risk | Top hazard | Flood policies | Flood claims paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County | Moderate | Heat wave | 834 | $49.02M |
| Kent County | Low | Hurricane | 1,165 | $21.5M |
| Washington County | Low | Hurricane | 3,354 | $51.86M |
| Newport County | Very Low | Hurricane | 1,549 | $11.79M |
| Bristol County | Very Low | Hurricane | 1,458 | $4.9M |
Costliest hazards
Expected annual loss in Rhode Island, all counties combined
- Hurricane$19.56M/yr
- Heat wave$10.49M/yr · 1 county high
- Cold wave$8.46M/yr · 1 county high
- Earthquake$7.53M/yr
- Tornado$5.26M/yr
- Coastal flooding$5.05M/yr
- Lightning$2.82M/yr · 1 county high
- Strong wind$2.11M/yr
- Ice storm$1.27M/yr · 1 county high
- Hail$656K/yr
Storm events by type
Since 1996: 20 deaths, $132M in property and crop damage
- Strong Wind431 · 1 death
- Heavy Snow339 · 1 death
- High Wind299 · 1 death
- Thunderstorm Wind285
- Flood175 · 1 death
- Winter Storm138
- Heavy Rain127
- Flash Flood124
- Hail124
- Winter Weather104 · 1 death
- Lightning59 · 2 deaths
- Coastal Flood41
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 2017, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Rip Current06/20/2021
Eastern Kent
2 deaths
What happened
Strong rip currents off of Conimicut Point in Warwick, RI (Narragansett Bay) caused the drowning death of a 10 year old girl and of the 45 year old man who went in to attempt to rescue her. Time approximate.
- High Surf10/28/2018
Newport
2 deaths
What happened
High surf, on the order of 6 to 8 foot waves, knocked a 51 year old woman off the rocks, where she was fishing. She ended up drowning. Her 52 year old husband went into the water to save her but he ended up drowning as well. Very sad story.
- High Wind58 kt wind03/02/2018
Newport
1 death, $2,000 damage
What happened
At 1:52 PM EST the Automated Surface Observing System platform at Newport State Airport in Middletown measured a wind gust to 67 mph. At 2:24 PM EST an amateur radio operator in Newport reported a wind gust to 62 mph. At 3:20 PM EST, a tree fell on the front yard of a property near the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Ruggles Avenue in Newport; the tree struck and killed the property owner. At 8:00 PM EST a trained spotter in Portsmouth reported a tree and wires down on Corys Lane.
- Strong Wind43 kt wind03/07/2025
Northwest Providence
1 death, $500 damage
What happened
Winds generally gusted 45-50 mph. In Scituate a tree was down blocking the road. A 63 year old Massachusetts man was killed by a falling tree branch while on a hike in Burrilville on the Nipmuc Trail.
- Rip Current07/28/2023
Washington
1 death
What happened
Fifteen year old Jaimer Ico Gregorio from New London, Connecticut, was with his family at Dunes Park Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island, Thursday night when he went under the water and never resurfaced. There were no lifeguards on duty at the time. A search was launched on the evening of the 27th but his body was not recovered until the evening of Sunday the 30th.
- Blizzard02/23/2026
Newport
1 death
What happened
At the Newport Airport ASOS (KUUU) blizzard conditions occurred from 450 AM EST to 405 PM EST. Newport RI (UUU) wind observations ceased after 150pm, so end time estimated based on visibility since nearby observations indicated winds remained above 35 mph. The highest gust was 67 mph at 855 AN EST. Generally 30-32 inches of snow fell. The highest amount was 34 inches in Newport. A Salve Regina University student from Long Island died of carbon monoxide poisoning after charging his phone in a running car.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 hurricane landfalls since 1851, 1 of them major (Category 3+)
- Hurricane Henri (2021)08/15/2021 · Landfall: RI · 986 mbCategory 175 mph peak
- Hurricane Elsa (2021)07/01/2021 · Landfall: FL, NY, RI · 991 mbCategory 186 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Andrea (2013)06/06/2013 · Landfall: FL · 992 mbTropical storm63 mph peak
- Hurricane Hanna (2008)08/28/2008 · Landfall: SC · 977 mbCategory 186 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Barry (2007)05/31/2007 · Landfall: FL · 990 mbTropical storm58 mph peak
- Hurricane Gordon (2000)09/14/2000 · Landfall: FL · 981 mbCategory 181 mph peak
- Hurricane Bob (1991)08/16/1991 · Landfall: RI, ME · 950 mbCategory 3115 mph peak
- Tropical Storm Henri (1985)09/22/1985 · Landfall: NY, RI · 996 mbTropical storm58 mph peak
- Hurricane Carol (1954)08/25/1954 · Landfall: NY, CT · 955 mbCategory 3115 mph peak
- Unnamed storm (1944)09/09/1944 · Landfall: NY, RI · 918 mbCategory 5161 mph peak
Flood insurance
National Flood Insurance Program policies and claims
8,360 homes in Rhode Island have flood insurance, about 2.7% of residential buildings. In high-risk flood zones, 5,486 of 11,194 homes (49%) are insured.
- March 2010 Nor'easter$43.28M · 1,716 claims
- Hurricane Sandy$38.6M · 1,063 claims
- Hurricane Bob$6.28M · 620 claims
- December Nor'easter$4.95M · 78 claims
- Not a named storm$3.86M · 316 claims
- Hurricane Irene$2.07M · 84 claims
Drinking water
88 community water systems serve about 1,065,084 people
Since 2021, 19 systems reported 52 health-based violations. 15 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report. These had the most:
- Foster Senior Housing INC.Serves 31 · Groundwater · Private9 health violations+11 monitoring or reporting
- Narragansett Water System-Point JudithServes 8,210 · Purchased groundwater · Local government6 health violations
- Narragansett Water Dept-North EndServes 4,432 · Purchased groundwater · Local government5 health violations
- Slatersville Public SupplyServes 3,403 · Purchased surface water · Local government4 health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Lindhbrook Water CompanyServes 200 · Groundwater · Private4 health violations+133 monitoring or reporting
- Portsmouth Water & Fire DistrictServes 17,090 · Purchased surface water · Local government3 health violations
- Hillsdale Housing Cooperative, INC.Serves 170 · Groundwater · Private3 health violations+37 monitoring or reporting
- Veolia Water Wakefield Rhode Island INCServes 21,225 · Groundwater · Private2 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
Select a county above to see every system that serves it.
Climate in the largest cities
1991-2020 normals from the nearest NOAA weather station
| City | July high | Jan low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 84°F | 22°F | 47.5 in | 36.6 in |
| Pawtucket | 84°F | 19°F | 51.9 in | 41.5 in |
| Newport | 77°F | 24°F | 47.5 in | 26.0 in |
| Westerly | 82°F | 25°F | 42.8 in | - |
| Newport East | 80°F | 24°F | 42.2 in | - |
| Wakefield-Peace Dale | 80°F | 19°F | 51.6 in | - |
| Tiverton | 85°F | 24°F | 49.4 in | 38.1 in |
Pollution sites
13 Superfund sites and 80 toxic release facilities
Superfund sites
- Central LandfillFinal NPL Site, Johnston
- Centredale Manor Restoration ProjectFinal NPL Site, North Providence
- Davis Liquid WasteFinal NPL Site, Smithfield
- Davisville Naval Construction Battalion CenterFinal NPL Site, North Kingstown
- Landfill & Resource Recovery, Inc. (l&rr)Final NPL Site, North Smithfield
- Newport Naval Education & Training CenterFinal NPL Site, Newport
- Peterson/Puritan, Inc.Final NPL Site, Lincoln/Cumberland
- Picillo FarmFinal NPL Site, Coventry
Largest toxic releases
- Safety-Kleen Systems Inc.180,647 lbs, Cranston
- Ocean State Power171,550 lbs, Harrisville
- Technic Inc Engineered Powders Div98,556 lbs, Woonsocket
- General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp42,661 lbs, North Kingstown
- Chemart40,596 lbs, Lincoln
- Tanury Industries34,735 lbs, Lincoln
- Prysmian Cable & Systems USA LLC11,383 lbs, Lincoln
- Teknor Apex Co7,028 lbs, Pawtucket
Facilities in Rhode Island reported 660,935 lbs of toxic releases in 2024, 224,658 lbs of it into the air.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest natural hazard in Rhode Island?
- By expected annual loss, hurricane costs the most in Rhode Island ($19.56M a year), according to FEMA's National Risk Index.
- How many storms hit Rhode Island each year?
- NOAA recorded 2,410 storm events in Rhode Island since 1996, about 78 a year. The most common type is strong wind.
- How many hurricanes have hit Rhode Island?
- Rhode Island has had 3 hurricane landfalls since 1851, including 1 major hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Rhode Island have flood insurance?
- 8,360 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Rhode Island. Since 1978 the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $139M on 6,960 claims here.
- How many Superfund sites are in Rhode Island?
- Rhode Island has 13 Superfund sites on or deleted from EPA's National Priorities List.
Source: FEMA, NOAA, EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch each county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.