FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
Rhode Island · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480), RI
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 94
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County in the top 6% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 72% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Rhode Island county average and the national county average.
- Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County
- 5
- Rhode Island county avg
- 3.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County, Rhode Island has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2024, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 32% above the Rhode Island county average of 3.8 and 34% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 3 of 5 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Moderate (composite score 93.7/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Moderate equivalent to roughly $129.5M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively Moderate and community resilience scores Relatively High - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Heat Wave (Relatively High).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County at a moderate relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Rhode Island Avg
+32%
State avg: 3.8
vs. National Avg
+34%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County
The radar plots Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
44007
RI state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 5 FEMA disaster declarations in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County by incident type.
Severe Storm 3
Snowstorm 1
Hurricane 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 80.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 1 20.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 5 FEMA disaster declarations for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County, Rhode Island.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4766 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-03-20 |
| 4765 | SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-03-20 |
| 4753 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-01-07 |
| 4653 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2022-05-12 |
| 3563 | HURRICANE HENRI | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-21 |
Storm Events in Rhode Island
NOAA severe weather data for Rhode Island (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 185 | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | 150 | 2 | 3 | $503.6K |
| High Wind | 126 | 1 | 1 | $427.6K |
| Heavy Snow | 99 | 0 | 1 | $105.0K |
| Flood | 72 | 0 | 0 | $74.3K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 93.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$129.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County.
Heat Wave Relatively High
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Rhode Island
Other Rhode Island counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County, Rhode Island had?
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County, Rhode Island has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2024. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
The most common disaster type in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County is Severe Storm, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Snowstorm (1), Hurricane (1).
How does Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County's disaster risk compare to the Rhode Island average?
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 32% higher than the Rhode Island county average of 3.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 34% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County received?
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 80% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Rhode Island?
The most common storm types in Rhode Island include Thunderstorm Wind (185 events), Strong Wind (150 events), High Wind (126 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County was 2024, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County has a moderate disaster risk level with 5 total declarations. This county has a moderate number of disaster declarations.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County, Rhode Island has an overall risk score of 93.7 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $129.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County is Heat Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Relatively Moderate) and Cold Wave (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480)
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480), RI has 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 32% above the Rhode Island county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (4 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Rhode Island overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.