HazardFacts

All states › Rhode Island › Washington County

Natural hazard risk in Washington County, Rhode Island

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 64.0 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$31.7 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1978
22[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$51.9 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
2[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural hazard risk for Washington County, Rhode Island as Relatively Low, with a score of 64.0 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are hurricane, coastal flooding and inland flooding[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates $31.7 million a year in Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in the county, and it rates that figure Relatively Low[1]. Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. FEMA lists the largest parts of that loss as inland flooding ($22.0 million a year), hurricane ($3.5 million a year) and coastal flooding ($2.3 million a year)[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Very Low[9] and community resilience Very High[10]. These ratings compare the county with all other US counties[7].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
HurricaneRelatively Moderate$3.5 million[11]
Coastal FloodingRelatively Moderate$2.3 million[12]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$22.0 million[13]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$310,000[14]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$921,000[15]
LightningRelatively Moderate$561,000[16]
Heat WaveRelatively Low$419,000[17]
DroughtRelatively Low$124,000[18]
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$66,000[19]
LandslideVery Low$746[20]
Strong WindRelatively Low$393,000[21]
TornadoRelatively Low$664,000[22]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$425,000[23]
WildfireVery Low$13,000[24]
HailVery Low$6,359[25]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, volcanic activity[26].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery Low12.1[9]
Community resilienceVery High97.1[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate (score 75.3) and coastal flooding risk Relatively Moderate (score 76.2) compared with other US counties[13][12]. OpenFEMA lists 3,354 residential flood insurance contracts in force, a penetration rate of 6.6% as of 2026-08-03[27]. Inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 49% of homes are insured[27]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data show 2,399 claims filed for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $51.9 million in total[3]. To learn about the flood zone for an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[28].

Measure Value
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[12] Relatively Moderate, $2.3 million expected loss a year
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[13] Relatively Moderate, $22.0 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[27] 3,354 of 50,859 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[27] 4,832, of which 2,370 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 2,399 filed, $51.9 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[28]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 22 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Washington County since 1978[2]. By incident type these are hurricane 8, snowstorm 7, severe storm 6 and fire 1[2]. The most recent listed were two severe storm and flooding declarations on 2024-03-20[29]. NOAA's tornado database records 2 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated EF0[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Washington County, since 1978
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 8
Snowstorm[2] 7
Severe Storm[2] 6
Fire[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4765-RI[29] Severe Storm And Flooding 2024-03-20
DR-4766-RI[29] Severe Storms And Flooding 2024-03-20
FM-5464-RI[29] Queens River Fire 2023-04-14
DR-4653-RI[29] Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm 2022-05-12
EM-3563-RI[29] Hurricane Henri 2021-08-21

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Hurricanes

Before

  • Know your hurricane risk, including rain, wind and tornadoes far inland from landfall.
  • Learn your evacuation zone and routes, and practice them with your household and pets.
  • Keep insurance policies and ID current, with password-protected digital copies.
  • Clear drains and gutters, bring in outdoor furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
  • Keep your phone charged, buy backup chargers and gather supplies, including medication and pet supplies.

During

  • If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials order an evacuation, leave right away.
  • For high winds, take shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
  • If you are trapped by flooding, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, hurricanes

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Questions people ask

Is Washington County, Rhode Island at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively Moderate (score 75.3) and coastal flooding Relatively Moderate (score 76.2) compared with other US counties[13][12]. Inland flooding makes up $22.0 million a year of FEMA's Expected Annual Loss[8].
Does Washington County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 2 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated EF0[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Low[22].
Is Washington County at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.2), the highest hazard score within the county[11][6]. OpenFEMA lists 8 hurricane declarations since 1978[2].
How many disasters have been declared in Washington County?
OpenFEMA lists 22 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1978[2].
How do I check the flood zone for an address?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[28].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Washington County is $31.7 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 73.8). Of this, buildings account for $29.3 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $2.1... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 22 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Washington County since 1978 (12 major disaster, 10 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 8, snowstorm 7, severe storm 6, fire 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other non-natural... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 2,399 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Washington County, 1,766 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $51.9 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 2 recorded tornadoes touched Washington County. The strongest were rated EF0 (most recent of them on 2021-11-13). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2021-11-13. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Washington County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 64.0 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Washington County are hurricane (82.2, Relatively Moderate), coastal flooding (76.2, Relatively Moderate), inland flooding (75.3, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Washington County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($22.0 million a year), hurricane ($3.5 million a year), coastal flooding ($2.3 million a year), out of $31.7 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Washington County is Very Low (score 12.1). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Washington County is Very High (score 97.1). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 82.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.5 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.18 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 76.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.3 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 3.687 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 75.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $22.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.75 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of... FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 70.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $310,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.41 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 67.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $921,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0011 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 65.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $561,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 20.86 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24... FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 46.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $419,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 3.38 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 43.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $124,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 3.41 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 42.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $66,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 10.34 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Washington County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 37.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $746 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 30.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $393,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.12 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 29.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $664,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.1 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Washington County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 24.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $425,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.72 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Washington County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 23.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Washington County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 2.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6,359 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 1.51 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  26. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Washington County: avalanche, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  27. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 3,354 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Washington County, out of 50,859 residential structures, a penetration rate of 6.6%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 4,832 residential structures and 2,370... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  28. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  29. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.