PlainHazard

Rhode Island drought

Every recorded drought record since 1996 · 5 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 34 drought records in Rhode Island from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 17 a year since 2000. Rhode Island ranks 45th of 51 states and territories by count and 18th of 50 per square mile.

Drought in Rhode Island, 1996 to 2026

Drought records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
341996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
17average
Deaths
00 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
–as filed
Busiest year
201625 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are drought records common in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island averages about 17 drought records a year since 2000, 45th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2016 (25). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Rhode Island records 329 drought records since 1996, 18th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Hawaii 2624
  2. 2. New Jersey 1205
  3. 3. Delaware 1062
  4. 4. Oklahoma 971
  5. 5. Georgia 900
  6. 6. Texas 711
  7. 7. New Mexico 528
  8. 8. Alabama 527
  9. 9. Tennessee 477
  10. 10. Iowa 466
  11. 18. Rhode Island 329

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Rhode Island have the most drought records?

Per square mile, Newport County leads Rhode Island: 5 days with a drought record since 1996, 48.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Providence County has the most drought records (9 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. Newport County 48.8 (5)
  2. Kent County 23.7 (8)
  3. Providence County 14.7 (9)
  4. Washington County 12.1 (8)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is drought season in Rhode Island?

47% of its drought records since 1996 fell in September and October. The busiest month is April (8 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 8 · May 1 · Jun 0 · Jul 0 · Aug 1 · Sep 8 · Oct 8 · Nov 8 · Dec 0 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

Are drought records becoming more frequent in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Drought: Rhode Island and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeRhode IslandUnited StatesRhode Island's share
1996-9905,6000
2000s018,5710
2010s3431,4410.11%
2020-26030,1470

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent drought records in Rhode Island

The 0 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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