Providence County, Rhode Island: hazard risk
FEMA rates Providence County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.7 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by heat wave, riverine flooding, cold wave. Its storm record holds 923 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.2 | $8.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.6 | $93M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.6 | $6.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.0 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.3 | $661K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | $9.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $3.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.1 | $636K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 53.5 | $553K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.4 | $4.4M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.7 | $8K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.4 | $305K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.3 | $37K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.9 | $36K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.7 | $14K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 209 | 2 | $18M | 3rd of 4 | 339th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 198 | 1 | $1.6M | 4th of 4 | 63rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 175 | 0 | $2.4M | 2nd of 4 | 1164th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 172 | 0 | $46M | 3rd of 4 | 168th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | $27K | 2nd of 4 | 1599th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 35 | 0 | $41K | 4th of 4 | 147th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 28 | 0 | $989K | 2nd of 4 | 72nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $10M | 1st of 4 | 1822nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | – | 3rd of 4 | 1824th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 8 | 3 | – | 2nd of 4 | 1013th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 0 | $224K | 4th of 4 | 486th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 3rd of 4 | 2300th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Providence County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.