Question 1

Which county in Rhode Island has the highest natural disaster risk?

Accepted Answer

Providence County has the highest natural disaster risk score in Rhode Island at 93.7 (Relatively Moderate), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.

Question 2

Which county in Rhode Island is the safest from natural disasters?

Accepted Answer

Bristol County has the lowest natural disaster risk score in Rhode Island at 19.4 (Very Low), based on FEMA NRI data.

Question 3

What natural disasters are most common in Rhode Island?

Accepted Answer

Rhode Island counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.

Question 4

How is natural disaster risk measured by county?

Accepted Answer

The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

County	Risk Score	Rating	Flood	Wildfire	Tornado	Earthquake
Providence County	93.7	Relatively Moderate	96.6	31.7	78.3	89.4
Kent County	69.4	Relatively Low	80.9	21.1	39.1	75.3
Washington County	64.0	Relatively Low	76.2	23.1	29.4	67.3
Newport County	36.4	Very Low	61.4	13.7	17.0	57.3
Bristol County	19.4	Very Low	65.8	3.7	12.9	51.0

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