FEMA declarations
31
Low volume
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Rhode Island Natural Disasters
Rhode Island has one of the lighter federal disaster records in the country. 31 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by hurricane, with $6.9M in combined property and crop damage. A light count doesn't mean zero risk, just fewer events that crossed the federal declaration threshold. NOAA storm event data shows 924 recorded weather events resulting in 7 fatalities, numbers that shape which hazards get priority in the state's preparedness planning.
- 31
- FEMA declarations
- 924
- NOAA storm events
- 7
- Storm fatalities
- $6.9M
- Property + crop damage
The Rhode Island risk picture
0 of the 5 counties FEMA scores, 0%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Rhode Island has 17 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 13 injuries statewide.
- 0%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 31
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $6.9M
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 6,958
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
55%
Major-heavy
NOAA storm events
924
Observed severe-weather records
How does Rhode Island compare?
Rhode Island vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
31 14th percentile higher than 14% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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 · 2026-08-03
Rhode Island county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
56.6 40th percentile higher than 40% of 5 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-03
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Rhode Island sits at the 7th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 7th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Rhode Island's record?
FEMA declaration types in Rhode Island
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Hurricane
Hurricane
10 declarations
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
8 declarations
- Snowstorm
Snowstorm
7 declarations
- Biological 3
Biological
3 declarations
- Other 1
Other
1 declarations
- Fire 1
Fire
1 declarations
- Toxic Substances 1
Toxic Substances
1 declarations
What this shows Hurricane leads Rhode Island's FEMA declaration mix with 10 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year
Reported severe-weather events in Rhode Island, 2015–2025 catalog window.
Peak year in this series: 2016 (178 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
24 /100
Historical Activity Index
Low historical activity
Rhode Island · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
5/30
31 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.4x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Low
1/25
924 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (0.1x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Low
0/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (0.0x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Rhode Island
What does Rhode Island's hazard record show?
FEMA disaster declarations
Rhode Island (RI) has a low level of federal declaration activity, with 31 FEMA declaration records, including 17 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Hurricane, followed by Severe Storm (8), Snowstorm (7), Biological (3). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 5Rhode Island counties have filed 6,958 NFIP claims totaling $139.0M, or an average of $20.0K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $0.2B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Rhode Island recorded 924 individual storm events, causing 7 fatalities and 13 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $6.9M. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (175 events), Strong Wind (144 events), High Wind (124 events). Across the 5counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 0 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 56.6/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
Disaster Types in Rhode Island
Hurricane 10
Severe Storm 8
Snowstorm 7
Biological 3
Other 1
Fire 1
Toxic Substances 1
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Rhode Island (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 175 | 0 | 2 | $987.6K |
| Strong Wind | 144 | 1 | 2 | $489.8K |
| High Wind | 124 | 1 | 1 | $427.6K |
| Heavy Snow | 99 | 0 | 1 | $105.0K |
| Flood | 72 | 0 | 0 | $74.3K |
| Flash Flood | 54 | 0 | 3 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | 53 | 0 | 0 | $102.2K |
| Winter Storm | 52 | 0 | 0 | $11.9K |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Drought | 25 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Tropical Storm | 19 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | 18 | 0 | 0 | $146.3K |
| Coastal Flood | 13 | 0 | 0 | $7.0K |
| Blizzard | 13 | 0 | 0 | $52.0K |
| Tornado | 9 | 0 | 1 | $1.4M |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 8 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Rip Current | 3 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| High Surf | 2 | 2 | 0 | $500 |
| Excessive Heat | 1 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | 1 | 4 | $61.7K |
| 2024 | 57 | 0 | 0 | $55.8K |
| 2023 | 83 | 1 | 3 | $335.1K |
| 2022 | 75 | 0 | 3 | $1.1M |
| 2021 | 72 | 2 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2020 | 94 | 0 | 1 | $293.5K |
| 2019 | 92 | 0 | 0 | $142.7K |
| 2018 | 71 | 3 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2017 | 68 | 0 | 0 | $161.9K |
| 2016 | 178 | 0 | 1 | $908.3K |
| 2015 | 109 | 0 | 1 | $513.0K |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 31 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 31 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
31 unique disaster declarations in 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 |
| 5464 | QUEENS RIVER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2023-04-14 |
| 4653 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2022-05-12 |
| 3563 | HURRICANE HENRI | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-21 |
| 4505 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-30 |
| 3515 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3440 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4212 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-04-03 |
| 4107 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-03-22 |
| 4089 | HURRICANE SANDY | DR | Hurricane | 2012-11-03 |
| 3355 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-29 |
| 4027 | TROPICAL STORM IRENE | DR | Hurricane | 2011-09-03 |
| 3334 | HURRICANE IRENE | EM | Hurricane | 2011-08-27 |
| 3311 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2010-03-30 |
| 1894 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-03-29 |
| 1704 | SEVERE STORMS AND INLAND AND COASTAL FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-25 |
| 3255 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-19 |
| 3203 | RECORD SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-02-17 |
| 3182 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2003-03-27 |
| 3123 | MAJOR WATER MAIN BREAK | EM | Other | 1996-11-19 |
| 1091 | BLIZZARD OF 96 (SEVERE SNOW STORM) | DR | Snowstorm | 1996-01-24 |
| 3102 | BLIZZARDS, HIGH WINDS & RECORD SNOWFALL | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-16 |
| 3094 | WATER CONTAMINATION | EM | Toxic Substances | 1992-09-16 |
| 913 | HURRICANE BOB | DR | Hurricane | 1991-08-26 |
| 748 | HURRICANE GLORIA | DR | Hurricane | 1985-10-15 |
| 548 | SNOW & ICE | DR | Snowstorm | 1978-02-16 |
| 3058 | BLIZZARD & SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1978-02-07 |
| 39 | HURRICANE & FLOOD | DR | Hurricane | 1955-08-20 |
| 23 | HURRICANES | DR | Hurricane | 1954-09-02 |
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Rhode Island counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
56.6/100
High Risk Counties
0
of 5 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$0.2B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$153.0M EAL
#2
Hurricane
$19.6M EAL
#3
Heat Wave
$10.5M EAL
#4
Cold Wave
$8.5M EAL
#5
Earthquake
$7.5M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Rhode Island from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
6,958
Total Paid
$139.0M
Avg Per Claim
$20.0K
Counties With Claims
5
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Rhode Island
5 counties with FEMA disaster data.
| # | County | Disasters | Major |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 25 | 13 |
| 2 | Providence County | 25 | 13 |
| 3 | Kent County | 23 | 13 |
| 4 | Newport County | 22 | 13 |
| 5 | Bristol County | 20 | 11 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Rhode Island are Providence (93.7), Kent (69.4), Washington (64.0), Newport (36.4), Bristol (19.4). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 5 counties in Rhode Island are listed above.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Rhode Island?
Rhode Island is affected by hurricane, severe storm, snowstorm, biological. The most common disaster type is Hurricane, based on 31 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Rhode Island had?
Rhode Island has received 31 FEMA disaster declarations, including 17 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Hurricane (10), Severe Storm (8), Snowstorm (7).
What severe weather events are most common in Rhode Island?
The most common severe weather events in Rhode Island include thunderstorm wind (175 events), strong wind (144 events), high wind (124 events). Between 2015 and 2025, NOAA recorded these events causing 7 fatalities and $6.9M in property and crop damage.
How active is Rhode Island's federal disaster declaration record?
Rhode Island has a low level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 31 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 7 fatalities and 13 injuries. Combined NOAA-listed property and crop losses total $6.9M.
How many flood insurance claims has Rhode Island had?
Rhode Island has 6,958 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $139.0M total paid out. Claims average $20.0K, with 5 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Rhode Island have the most disaster declarations?
Among 5 counties in Rhode Island, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Washington (25 declarations), Providence (25 declarations), Kent (23 declarations). County-level records show where federal declarations have concentrated across the state.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Rhode Island
Washington alone accounts for 81% of Rhode Island's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 5 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Washington and Providence carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Rhode Island ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.