FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
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
The verdict
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) ranks in the riskiest 6% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 71% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Moderate, based on 5 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2021, most often severe storm, 30% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 6%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County compare?
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
5 Top 29% higher than 71% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Rhode Island county average
How disaster-prone is Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County?
Declaration frequency
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 30% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 3 of 5 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 93.7/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $129.5M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Heat Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Rhode Island Avg
+32%
State avg: 3.8
vs. National Avg
+30%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County
How to read this radar
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. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
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
Severe Storm 3
Snowstorm 1
Hurricane 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
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
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| 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
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 192 | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | 159 | 2 | 3 | $510.9K |
| High Wind | 137 | 1 | 1 | $436.7K |
| Heavy Snow | 109 | 0 | 1 | $105.0K |
| Flood | 78 | 0 | 0 | $82.6K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
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
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
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 3.8, it is 30% 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 (192 events), Strong Wind (159 events), High Wind (137 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?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Providence(in PMSA 6060,6480) County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
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 runs 32% above the Rhode Island county average for federal disaster declarations (5 vs 4), a moderate historical load overall.
- 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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 national statistics report, or report a data error.