1,300 flood insurance claims·$21.5M paid·4 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Kent County, Rhode Island. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Kent County experiences a mix of standard riverine flooding, flash flooding, and coastal flood events driven by severe storms, heavy rainfall, and snowmelt. Over the last 30 years, NOAA data records 32 general floods resulting in 1 death, 23 flash floods, 6 tropical storms, and 6 coastal floods.
Recent weather patterns illustrate these risks. In January 2024, a low pressure system and snowmelt brought 2 to 5 inches of rain, causing widespread river flooding and major flood stages. Later that month, another low pressure system combined with saturated ground to produce widespread river and coastal flooding. In May 2024, a stationary rain band dropped heavy rainfall with totals reaching over 6 inches in parts of the region, leading to moderate to heavy flooding.
Property owners and real estate professionals should pay the closest attention based on FEMA claim distributions. Zone A holds the highest risk concentration with 876 claims averaging $28,317 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Zone X accounts for 191 claims averaging $18,240 with an average depth of 8 inches, while unshaded Zone X recorded 114 claims averaging $13,926 with an average depth of 3 inches. Zone V accounts for 70 claims averaging $12,208 with an average depth of 6 inches, and shaded Zone X recorded 35 claims averaging $19,247 with an average depth of 7 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
14% of Kent County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,095 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 7 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2010, with 491 claims and $14.7M paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
35 NOAA storm reports from Kent County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Rhode Island flood stories →
23 federal disaster declarations since 1978, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jan 9, 2024 |
| Severe Storm And Flooding | Dec 17, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 28, 2022 |
| Hurricane Henri | Aug 20, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 26, 2015 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Feb 8, 2013 |
| Hurricane Sandy | Oct 26, 2012 |
| Tropical Storm Irene | Aug 27, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
67 since 1996: 23 flash floods, 32 river or area floods and 6 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 26, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 16, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Jan 13, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 10, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2023 | — |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2022 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 22, 2021 | $38,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 26, 2024. A cold pool aloft and surface front caused a round of strong to severe storms over all of southern New England. Hail from 1 to 2 inches fell in MA, RI, and CT while localized flash flooding was observed in southern RI and MA.
Flash Flood · Jun 21, 2024. A round of thunderstorms brought isolated flash flooding to Rhode Island in the evening.
Flood · May 16, 2024. Low pressure south of southern New England brought widespread moderate to heavy rain to the region during the morning. The heaviest was centered in eastern CT, northern and |central RI into south coastal MA where a nearly stationary band of rain produced hourly rain rates of about a half-inch per hour. Some of the highest totals were 5.09 inches of rain in Westport, MA, 6.54 inches in South Kingstown, RI.
Coastal Flood · Jan 13, 2024. A low pressure system over the southern Plains strengthened significantly as it reached the eastern Great Lakes. This placed New England on the warm side of the storm with strong SE winds and rain instead of snow. This lead to widespread river flooding and coastal flooding on both the south and east coasts of southern New England. The heaviest rain fell over eastern CT, RI, and eastern MA with totals of 1 to 3 inc…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Kent County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.